Kindergarten ANBU
by soprano-in-waiting
Summary: After one final battle with Madara, Naruto wakes up to find some surprising changes have occurred. Impossible changes. A cosmic accident has given him a second chance. No one ever said he had to live it the same way twice. TimeTravel. Strong!Naruto.
1. Take Two

Don't own Naruto, and if I did, the series probably wouldn't be ending for years yet because I would lose inspiration.

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><p>Smoke drifted across the desolated landscape. Trees lay scattered on the ground. The once proud giants of the forest of Hi no Kuni were now forcefully brought low, not to any power found naturally in nature, but by the force of the fierce battle that had raged between the pair of shinobi in the center of the desolation. Deep gashes in the earth criss-crossed the field where a tall man in dark, tattered ANBU armor and a leaf hitai-ite stood over the prone form of a dark cloaked man. The mask had long since shattered. Ragged breaths rattled from his bloodied chest as he carefully approached his motionless opponent, stepping through the multitudes of three pronged kunai and small patches of fire.<p>

'_Damn Madara. He's going to rot in hell for everything he's done.' _The blonde thought. He gazed at the still form in a bloodstained black cloak with the iconic red clouds of Akatsuki. Those clouds had been the bane of his existence for the last seven years of his life. Ever since Uchiha Itachi and his walking fish stick of a partner, Hoshigaki Kisame, had appeared in the doorframe of his hotel room, his life had been a constant round of training to face the powerful threat that was coming his way. He had trained his body and mind to its fullest extent in an effort to not only evade being captured, but to protect his precious people.

He clenched his fists in anger at the thought as tears mingled with the sweat and blood on his face. Its members had stolen the lives of everyone he held dear. Jiraiya, Sakura, Lee, Gaara, Tenten, Tsunade, and so many others had fallen because of the madness of this one man.

Naruto carefully reached down to check the lifeless corpse before him. He didn't see any breathing, but in dealing with Akatsuki, that didn't necessarily mean anything. Hidan and Kakuzu had survived numerous assassination jutsus and death blows to continue their fights. As he was about to touch the masked Uchiha's body, he felt an incredible chakra spike coming from the area before him. Naruto watched in alarm as Madara struggled to control the jutsu he was casting. The air seemed to swirl in on itself, rippling and moving like a whirlpool in midair. Naruto launched off a flurry of kunai in an attempt to distract the caster from the y from the jutsu. The blonde fought against the force that was pulling him inside the black hole, latching onto a scraggly dead tree with the last of his chakra reserves.

'_I don't have enough chakra left to fight this for long, at least not without losing control to Kyuubi. I have to find a way out of this.' _He hastily looked at his surroundings and noticed the shaking and subtle flares that the jutsu was giving off. '_He doesn't have absolute control over it.' _The young ANBU realized. '_If I can just get him to lose concentration for a second, that…thing might collapse on him, and, if I'm lucky, take him with it.' _Naruto thought wryly.

Carefully, he lowered one hand to his kunai pouch, making sure to keep the chakra holding him secure. He didn't have many left and he had to time this right. Carefully, he infused them with wind chakra, and threw them as hard as he could into Madara's chest. His eyes widened as red drops began to fall from the bottom of his mask.

Before Naruto could breathe in relief, the whirlpool exploded, tripling in size and power as deafening roar sounded in his mind. The hurricane winds forcefully tore him from his safe hold and drew the horrified shinobi into the eye of the storm, before it finally collapsed. Nothing was left but Madara, staring with mismatched dead eyes at the world he had brought to its knees.

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><p>White.<p>

He hated white.

Whenever he woke up to white, it usually meant that he had been dragged to the hospital for treatment while unconscious by overly concerned teammates. Naruto groaned as he shut his eyes again, blocking out the ghastly color. Hospitals were his least favorite place, at least when he was at the receiving end of their attentions. Having his own resident demon at least kept him from any long term stays in the white walled torture establishment.

'_Wait a second….this doesn't look like any part of the hospital I've been in…'_ He thought as he furrowed his brow.

Slowly he turned his head, realizing it was much harder than it should have been. He came face to face with vertical bars and pastel colored bedding, and of course, a white wall. His eyes widened in surprise. He turned to the other side as quickly as he could and saw more vertical bars and a row of white cribs, along with carts filled with shiny metal instruments and other supplies. His heart beat rapidly in his chest as he tried to raise his arms and found them strapped to his side. He wormed his arms out of the bindings that were keeping them there, and with great difficulty, raised them to his eyes. They were tiny, pale and unusually smooth, a far cry from the calluses and scars that had covered them before. An impossible idea that encompassed these details began to slowly form in his brain. He caught a reflection in a metal basin on the cart outside of the bars.

A baby.

A baby with bright blonde hair and piercing blue eyes looked back him. He tilted his head, and the infant's face mirrored him.

Naruto did the only logical thing he could think of; he screamed as he fainted dead away.

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><p>Isoda Yuuka collapsed into a chair in one of the few deserted places in the now busy hospital. The demon attack had resulted in hundreds of people being injured and far too many casualties. The nurses and doctors had been running themselves ragged as they worked selflessly to keep any more people from dying tonight.<p>

Yuuka tiredly sipped a cup of hot coffee that she had managed to snag before finding a place to rest. This night would give her nightmares material for years. She had worked in the hospital for close to thirty years and never seen this amount of sheer destruction, even during the so-called Secret Shinobi Wars.

She had started her career piecing hard-headed shinobi back together until transferring to the Nursery. She had had enough of death, and wanted to be a part of bringing life, but with this night, every hand had been needed. She had been recalled to work triage and had worked herself ragged, putting nurses several years her junior to shame. When the worst of it had been seen to, she snagged a highly needed caffeinated beverage and headed back to her usual assignment, wearily dropping into a seating area right outside the nursery.

The older woman's thoughts wound back to the four children that had been in her care before the attack. Two of them had lost their fathers, just days after being welcomed into the world by them. All of them would grow up in a world shadowed by war, but she hoped, for their sake, that the sacrifices made had bought them a brighter future.

Yuuka rested her head against the wall, and closed her weary eyes, attempting to collect her jumbled thoughts. Suddenly, she heard a terrified cry coming from the nursery. She leapt to her feet, all tiredness forgotten, and rushed into the crib-filled room. The suddenly alert nurse ran to check the children, but none of her four tiny patients were the source of the scream.

Yuuka furrowed her brow in confusion. There were only four children listed when she had left, and no others had been expected. She carefully checked each crib, working her way to the other end of the room. Every single bed was just as she had left it, until she came to the crib on the far end, closest to the windows. She peered over the bars and saw a tiny blonde baby, partially covered in a dirty white blanket. The child only looked to be a few hours old, at most, which puzzled the woman.

Trying not to wake the infant, she lifted it from the crib, and carried it to an examination table. She took the filthy blanket off and found the baby was a tiny boy. She took note of the odd markings on his face. While markings were not uncommon, they weren't part of any clan she had come across in her years. Yuuka carefully wiped away the dirt with a damp cloth. As she gently rinsed the blonde hair, the brightness of it shone through, with the downy softness only infants possess, although, in all her years, she had never seen as much, or as unruly, hair as this little boy had. She continued examining the child, documenting the weight, length, and any other identifiable features, since she had not found a file for him. Yuuka carefully lifted an eyelid and was shocked at the bright blue that she found. While the blonde hair was certainly unusual, there was only one other person she had seen with that particular shade of blue, even if it had only been for an instant, a number of years ago.

Yuuka had covered a shift in the emergency room, when a young man had come through with moderate chakra burns to his hands. She had carefully treated the teen for the burns, and warned him to take it easy, as he had also been suffering a slight case of chakra exhaustion.

_Yuuka wrapped the teen's hand in bandages after healing what she could and applying a salve for the rest. "Care to share how you managed to accomplish such damage to yourself?" She asked, with an exasperated, but understanding sigh. She had seen the boy in the hospital before, and he always pushed himself to the limit. She had to admit, he was one of the hardest workers she had ever seen, and one of the brightest._

"_I was experimenting, Isoda-san." The spiky blonde before her explained. "I'm working on my own jutsu. Just wait! I'm going to make the old man hand me that hat before long." He finished with a confident grin, staring at her with a determination in his sapphire eyes that dared her to say anything to the contrary. _

Yuuka chuckled at the memory, as years later he had done just that. She looked again at the child. She had her suspicions, but if there was anything that she had learned growing up in a shinobi village, it was that sometimes it was dangerous to ask questions. She finished putting the child in a clean diaper, and tenderly wrapped him in a soft, blue blanket, and replaced him in the crib she had found him. If her suspicion was correct, and the information got out, this child would be fighting to come out from under one of the greatest shadows that ever lived.

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><p>Hatake Kakashi was dead tired. Plain and simple as that. He had just returned from a B-rank mission involving the retrieval of sensitive documents when the Kyuubi had appeared. He had done everything in his power to aid the other defenders, but in the end it had cost him, and the village, more than they had reckoned. Village buildings and structures were destroyed, that much was easily visible. Too easily visible were the rows of sheet-covered bodies. The body count had yet to be finalized, but even he could see that the village was severely weakened. The numbers of dead and missing shinobi were still coming in, but Kakashi's heart had already been broken, and he didn't know how he would recover from this loss.<p>

The Kyuubi had finally been defeated, yes, but it had cost the life of the last two people who he had come to view as family: his sensei, Namikaze Minato, and his wife, Namikaze-Uzumaki Kushina. The rest of the village didn't know it yet, but they would soon. It wasn't possible to hide the death of the Yondaime Hokage for long. A number of shinobi had seen him fall from the back of Gamabunta, but no details had been given as the body had been swiftly moved to prevent the word from getting out before an emergency government had been instated.

Kakashi sorted through the happenings of the last few hours as he made his way from the Hokage tower to the nursery of the hospital.

_Kakashi watched in awe as the fearsome beast with the fiery chakra roared in agony as it almost instantaneously disappeared from the landscape. His heart clenched as the figure on top of the toad boss, Gamabunta, slowly started rocking back and forth before falling head first off the giant amphibian. Gamabunta quickly caught the man before he plummeted into the earth. Gently laying him next to his wife on the churned up ground, he hung his head in sorrow. Kakashi shunshined to the spot and didn't want to believe his eyes. There lay his sensei, his skin deathly pale in the moonlight. Kakashi raced to his side and hoped against hope for a miracle that was not to be. He couldn't stop the tears that flowed, soaking into the mask that he always wore. He didn't notice as Sarutobi and Jiraiya appeared. Sarutobi surveyed the scene with a hint of confusion before he noticed the small, white bundle clenched in his successor's arms._

"_Jiraiya." He addressed his student._

_Jiraiya was pulled from his grief for a moment at his teacher's words. He glanced at the Sandaime and noticed where his eyes rested. Following the unspoken order, he carefully made his way towards the heartbreaking scene. Kakashi barely noticed as the small bundle was removed. _

_Jiraiya crouched on the ground and started unwrapping the cloth until he was left with a small, sleeping blonde infant. He channeled the smallest hint of chakra into the little boy and hung his head as he saw the seal surrounding the child's bellybutton. _

_He quickly rewrapped the child, and carried him over to Sarutobi._

_Seeing the look in his student's eyes, Sarutobi's eyes closed as his suspicions were confirmed. The shinobi were starting to draw near, and while Gamabunta blocked the view from the majority of the onlookers, it wouldn't do for this news to be spread, just yet._

"_Boar. Cat." Sarutobi quietly ordered. Two dark figures in dirt encrusted armor appeared on knee before the Sandaime. "Take their bodies to the ANBU morgue. You will stay with them until further notice."_

"_Hai, Sandaime-sama." They acknowledged before respectfully carrying the two fallen shinobi and disappearing from sight. Kakashi still knelt on the broken ground, the scene still replaying in his mind's eye. _

"_Jiraiya, take the child to the hospital nursery. He should be safe there for now. Make sure no one sees you. Anonymity is his only protection for the next few hours. Meet me in my office when you're done. You and I have much to discuss." Sarutobi sighed, as he pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly. _

"_Kakashi, come with me." He placed a hand on the young jounin's shoulder, and the two disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving the shinobi in the field to wonder what had happened._

Kakashi looked up, and found himself in front of the hospital already. He headed inside, and carefully wound his way through the makeshift cots and around the busy doctors. Following the signs posted, he arrived at the nursery door a few minutes later. Sarutobi had ordered him to bring the child from the farthest crib. He had given the older gentleman a puzzled look, as he carried out the command. The jounin walked in to see an older woman, presumably the nurse watching a small bundle with concern.

"Excuse me, but I'm here on the Sandaime's orders." Kakashi voiced in as professional a tone as a teenager who hasn't slept for over 24 hours could muster.

The nurse glanced up at the sudden noise. She looked over the silver haired figure in the doorway.

"You're here for the child, aren't you?" She said. "No records of his birth. Bright blue eyes. Sunshine blonde hair." She quietly uttered, knowing that Kakashi could hear it. "I've worked in this hospital for close to thirty years, and I've only ever seen that combination on one person." She gave him a pointed stare as he joined her at the edge of the crib.

Carefully, Yuuka reached over the edge of the frame and lifted the tiny bundle into her arms. A sad smile crept over her face as she stared at the sleeping angel. Kakashi looked her in the eye as he awkwardly took the baby from her. After she helped him to hold the sleeping babe properly, she stole one last glance at the child before he turned away. Kakashi took two steps before disappearing with a swirl of leaves.

"Take care of him." She whispered to the wind.

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><p>Naruto slowly drifted back to consciousness. He opened his eyes to see a familiar stone wall. He breathed in relief as he sat up in his mindscape. He had long ago learned how to shape his inner mind, and had done so with an eye to making it more difficult for anyone to get information from him. While the Yamanakas were the elite in mind invasion techniques, they were by no means the only wielders of the skill. When he had first entered ANBU, it had been one of the first things he learned. Being able to withstand intense torture and interrogation were part and parcel of the job, and the trainers had drilled the recruits in it until they dropped from exhaustion.<p>

The young blond slowly stood up, and let go a breath he hadn't known he was holding as he finally peeked down to see the muscled and toned body that he remembered. He inspected the strong arms and admiring his ANBU tattoo with the signature red swirls of the captain surrounding the black. '_Thank goodness for small favors.'_ He shuddered at the thought of crawling around in his mind as a baby. His armor was in place along with his favorite coat that he wore in honor of his father, with his own twist of course. Black and orange replaced the white and red, respectively. He admired the man, but he already looked enough like him; he didn't need to be a clone.

'_Time to see if the ol' fuzz ball knows anything about this….' _He gazed down one end of the paved hallway before making his way towards the soft glow that was coming from under the large, iron reinforced doors at the far end.

With a push, he opened the creaking doors only to be greeted by a sight that made the stomach drop to his feet. The cage was empty. He ran across the flagstone floor, his footfalls slightly echoing across the huge room. Naruto reached the bars and quickly found the seal. It was intact. It hadn't changed since he had almost broken it when he was sixteen. The blonde wrinkled his brow in puzzlement. If anything else, it looked too good. There were no tears around the edge and the writing was crisp, as if newly inked.

"What the hell…" He swore.

"**That's what I'd like to know."** The voice echoed from inside the cage. Naruto backed up a step in surprise. A man with blood red robes stepped out of the shadows. His hair that shade of red that was so dark, it was almost black. A pair of fiery eyes pinned the shinobi with a stony expression that demanded answers. Nine black tipped tails twitched fluidly as he walked to the bars before being stopped by the seal.

"Kyuubi?" Naruto exclaimed. His eyes widened in alarm at the sight of a human male in place of the terrifying fox that he had been accustomed to.

"**In the flesh, so to speak.**" The demon replied dryly.

"But what happened to you? I mean, aren't you usually ten stories taller and well….more furry?" He questioned.

The demon sighed in response to the query. **'**_**Don't they teach their kits anything these days?'**_

"**If I so wish, I can assume any shape or form, human."** Kyuubi answered with a patience that Naruto had never seen, albeit, it was visibly wearing thin.

"Sooooo, what happened? I mean, you've always been in the 'Scare the hell out of Naruto' mode every time I've visited you in the past. You're also way more interested in talking than manipulating me to break the seal at the moment."

"**You tell me. I was sealed for years inside your mother, and then the seal broke. My next clear memory is of being trapped by that damned whirlpool that you managed to get us into. Everything else is jumbled together."** Kyuubi said as he paced down one length of the bars in contemplation. Suddenly he stopped as his head jerked up in an epiphany. **"Madara." **He muttered.

"Wait, I killed that bastard. What does he have to do with this?" Naruto yelled as he jumped to the bars. He wanted an explanation. Now.

"**When you were born, that man attacked your mother, in an attempt to free me for his own ends. I remember seeing that mask through Kushina's eyes. When the seal broke, I had escaped, but don't recall anything after that until a few hours ago, when you managed to land a kunai where it finally belonged."** The fire-eyed man reasoned. It made perfect sense to him.

"I still don't understand how Madara has anything to do with you going from 'RAAAR' to this." Naruto said, waving his hand to indicate the now human appearance of his 'guest'. Kyuubi sweat-dropped at the denseness of the blonde.

"**Look, gaki. Do you remember what type of sharingan Madara has?"**

"That Eternal Mangekyo, right? Why?" He puzzled.

"**That version of the sharingan has the potential to control bijuu. Now what am I?"** Kyuubi asked, trying to lead the slightly slow ANBU to the answer.

Naruto thought about it for a split second before the answer dawned on him. "So you're saying that Madara has been controlling you for the last twenty years, and the jutsu, or whatever, broke when I killed him?"

"**In a sense. That form of the sharingan has the potential to control the tailed beasts because it reaches into our subconscious, and draws out the pure rage and anger inside us. We are eternal creatures. You have felt these emotions, human, but imagine that multiplied by thousands of years worth of experience."**

Naruto paled at the thought. The tailed man continued on.

"**It is enough to make any intelligent being go insane. Those who are blinded by anger are easily manipulated. Madara must have locked me in a state where I could not look past the fury, and used that to further his own ends. When you gave him his just desserts, the power faded, returning me to my own mind. For that, I suppose I owe you thanks." **He grudgingly gave a slight nod of the head to the young man. Naruto, who had been listening intently, processed the information he had heard. He swiftly turned to face the demon as another question rose.

"And what does any of this have to do with why I'm back to a chibi version of me?" Naruto asked, eager to find out why he was back in diapers.

"**Madara fought using a space-time jutsu. From what I can infer, the backlash from the loss of control, coupled with the surge of my chakra caused the time stream to send you, and by extension, me, back to the past. I do not know why it landed in this particular timeframe."**

"I'm going to have to live my entire life over, aren't I?" Naruto whispered in a dead voice, hanging his head as the true extent of his situation hit him. He looked like he was going to collapse as his shoulders dropped in grief. '_Just when I had things going right. The villagers were giving me respect. I had precious people that loved me! Even with fuzz...er, Kyuubi inside of me.'_

"**I fail to see why you are complaining. Many humans have wished for a second chance. You have been granted the impossible gift of receiving it." **Kyuubi swished his tails about as he peered through the bars at the shinobi deep in thought. Naruto pondered the kitsune's words.

A second chance. Images of Sarutobi-ojii, Jiraiya, Sasuke, and so many others flashed in his mind's eye. '_I can save them. I won't lose them, not this time.'_

"You're right. I've got a chance to change things for the better, and I'm going to take it. Dattebayo!" He exclaimed as he straightened up, visibly changing from the devastated youth to the confident, determined ANBU captain that he was. Kyuubi caught a glimpse of a familiar fire in his sapphire eyes before Naruto turned around and left the chamber.

'_**This could be interesting…'**_Kyuubi thought with a mischievous, foxy grin on his face.

* * *

><p>Kakashi carefully shifted the infant in his arms as he waited in the Hokage's office. The Sandaime and Jiraiya had yet to return to the room. With nothing else to do, he gazed at the infant in his arms. The golden tufts tugged at his heart, reminding him of the loss he had been dealt mere hours ago. As he settled the baby in a more comfortable position, the baby woke up from his slumber. He drew in a breath at the deep, sleepy, blue eyes that met his gaze. Kakashi's heart wrenched. His sensei had been looking forward to being a father. He smiled sadly as he remembered the shock on his face as he had wandered around after finding out from Kushina. It was one of the few times he had ever seen the Yellow Flash at a loss for what to do. It hadn't lasted for long though. Shortly after he was running about, letting his closest friends know the good news. He remembered trying to talk him out of naming his child after ramen, but then again, his sensei always was different, to say the least.<p>

"Namikaze Naruto." Kakashi whispered, trying the name out, now that he was actually holding the boy. It wasn't fair. This little boy has had so much taken from him. While Kakashi had at least known his father, Naruto would never have the chance. He would be shunned because of the burden his own parent had given him. Some people would never understand.

Kakashi carefully adjusted the blankets as the child started wriggling, finally managing to free a tiny hand. Naruto quickly grasped the front of Kakashi's shirt as strong as he could, trying to pull himself closer. He looked down and saw the intense feeling reflected in the boy's eyes, as if he didn't want to let go. He didn't want to be alone. Kakashi cradled the child close to him.

'_I won't let you down sensei. I won't let him grow up alone.'_ He vowed. Namikaze Naruto was the last he had left of family, and he wasn't going to stand by and let him grow up without that love that Minato and Kushina had so freely given him.

Naruto awoke to the sight of a familiar one-eyed, silver haired jounin hovering right above his face.

'_Kakashi-sensei!'_ The last time he had seen the man had been several months ago, right before he had left on a mission. He never returned. Naruto wriggled free to give the closest thing that he could to a hug. Tears threatened to fall as he held on for dear life.

He didn't even hear when the door opened, admitting Jiraiya to the room.

"Kakashi, bring Naruto. Apparently the council wants to see him for themselves." The white haired sage said on a sigh before leading the cyclops and his charge to the chamber where they had been summoned.

The council room was a large, circular room, with chairs around the edge. A number of the dozen or so places were reserved for the clan heads, while others were occupied by civilians and merchants who were elected to the position. At the head of the arch, opposite the double doors, on a slightly raised platform was the Hokage's seat, along with a pair of chairs on either side for the advisors. The room wasn't as crowded as it might have been. Only the shinobi on the council had been summoned.

As the small party neared the chamber, the noise levels increased dramatically. The shouting and arguing could be heard outside the heavy doors, and as the door opened, it caused Kakashi to wince at the assault on his sensitive hearing. He glanced down at the infant. Naruto wasn't crying like he thought he would. '_Strange, I thought babies were supposed to be easily disturbed. Then again, I can't remember the last time I've been around anyone under the age of ten.'_

The shouting gradually subsided as Kakashi brought the child forward to where the Sandaime was sitting. Naruto wriggled in his arms, trying to get a clear view of the room.

"Meet Namikaze Naruto." Sarutobi announced. The family name caused more than a few eyes to widen.

"Namikaze? I wasn't aware that the Yondaime had any relatives left." Tsume mused. The confusion on her face deepened. She had seen the young Hokage a number of times around the previous Jinchuuriki, more than could be counted as coincidence... "Unless…he used _his son_ to seal the demon?" Inuzuka Tsume asked, shock clear on her face as the truth dawned.

"Would you have volunteered your child, Tsume? If I recall, you have a son a few weeks old." The wizened old man asked softly. A pained expression crossed the Inuzuka matriarch's tired visage before she hung her head, knowing the answer.

"For a sealing such as this, a container that could withstand the sudden influx of demonic chakra was needed. An infant's chakra coils are still flexible and malleable enough to contain it without damage to the one chosen to contain such an entity. That is all he is though, a _container_. I've looked over the seal personally, and there is no chance of the fox ever breaking through that seal, or taking over this child." Jiraiya explained, his patience wearing thin, as if this was the seventh time he had been forced to explain it.

"What about the seal? How do we know it won't break? The sudden appearance of the demon was unexpected. Everyone was in a rush to defend the village, including Namikaze-same. How do we know that he didn't make a mistake?" Uchiha Fugaku stated in an oily tone, staring intently at the blue bundle. Kakashi felt the malicious intent and clutched the baby closer to him. Naruto softly cried out from the sudden tight grip, before Kakashi loosened it slightly, fearing he had hurt the child.

"He didn't. I've already told you. I've checked it over. It's perfect!" Jiraiya replied vehemently. "There's not a chance that it would break from the inside. If you doubt my expertise, check it yourself. But unless you've suddenly joined the ranks of the seal masters, you're not going to find anything wrong that I wouldn't have seen first." The sage heatedly shot back. Jiraiya glared at the stoic Uchiha, daring him to doubt him. Fugaku broke the stare first, unwillingly admitting defeat.

"What do you plan to do with the child, Sandaime-sama? Train him?" questioned Yamanaka Inoichi, breaking the tense silence that had filled the council room. "He cannot be allowed to be left in just anyone's hands. The sheer power that he could wield…"

"I cannot say with complete certainty what will happen, as all reports have not come in regarding the attack. At this moment, I do not intend to train him into a mindless weapon. I doubt that Minato-kun and Kushina-chan would want such a life for their only son. For now, he's still a child, and children must grow up." Sarutobi said, playing on the fresh grief that a number of these people held.

"Jiraiya-sama, what would happen to the demon if the child were to be attacked, killed even?" Inoichi continued.

Jiraiya looked the blonde in the eye before delivering a carefully worded answer. "As of this moment, I believe that the death of the child would result in the demon being taken completely from this plane of existence, in a sense the demon would 'die' in this world." Muttering erupted in the stone-walled room at this declaration. Jiraiya caught a strange glint in a few of the councilors' eyes.

"That does not mean the demon would not return! It would only be a temporary stop-gap. Eventually, the Kyuubi would reform in this world. It could be months, it could be centuries, but it would be free again. I ask you, is it wiser to banish a threat, giving it time to refortify and plan, or is it better to keep it where we can watch it? While it is in that seal, the Kyuubi can do nothing to influence the outside world. It cannot harm us. It has no contact with other beings. It is being _weakened_ by the seal. Minato ensured that the strength of the demon would be used to protect the village." Jiraiya glared around the room, meeting the plotting faces of a few present.

"Before you try anything drastic, councilors, let me inform you of one thing: If you even think about touching _my godson_ I will personally make sure that you pay for it tenfold." The toad sage whispered, the threat echoing in the still room. A few people looked surprised at this revelation.

"Jiraiya. Enough." Sarutobi intervened. His student backed off to one side of the room, keeping an eye on those present.

"Sandaime-sama, there are many who would wish him harm, if only because of his parentage. Let me take him, and raise him until he can be trained. We could adequately protect him." Hyuuga Hiashi requested, confusing Jiraiya and Sarutobi.

"Tell me this, Hiashi-dono. If a clan that has a well known attitude towards outsiders were to suddenly take in a blonde-haired, blue-eyed child after our famous Yellow Flash has died, do you think anyone else wouldn't notice? People would start to question the sudden act. From what we can see, the child already greatly resembles his father. Giving him such obvious preferential treatment would be the same as painting a target on his back." The Nara clan head lazily interjected.

"Thank you for your counsel, Shikaku-san, you have great insight, as always." Sarutobi stood up, and made his way to Kakashi and Naruto's side. "Many children have been orphaned this night. He is just one of many." He sighed as he laid out the plan that had surfaced during the discussions.

"He will go to an orphanage, under his mother's name. Hopefully he will grow up as a normal child."

"Is that possible? He has one of the most powerful demons alive sealed in him. Those who lost family and friends in the attack will want revenge. People have a right to know how their Hokage died. Just how do you think those people will handle the news that the demon that killed their loved ones is now jailed in a much smaller, and fragile form?" Jiraiya argued heatedly. "They're not going to let him have a normal childhood!"

"I understand your concerns. Grief and hate can drive normally calm and reasonable people to do reprehensible deeds. As to those who would take…more drastic action, there will be a guard to deter them, and protect the child." Sandaime gave a pointed look at Fugaku and his supporters. "I hereby make a decree that those who know of his burden are not allowed to speak of it, even to him. On pain of death. As to the child himself, if he is not aware of the demon by the time he reaches genin, I will inform him myself."

"You're dismissed. Go, get some rest. We are going to need it before long. Jiraiya, Kakashi, with me." Sarutobi commanded. The occupants filed out of the room, some glancing back at the child, and meeting the single eye of the teen who was still holding him.

Kakashi followed the newly reinstated Hokage back to the office. He had refused to let go of the child.

* * *

><p>Naruto had listened to the entire council proceedings, not really being surprised at the majority of it. What did surprise him was that the Hyuuga clan head had offered to raise him. He allowed himself a moment to contemplate growing up with Neji and Hinata as siblings… '<em>That would have been weird….to say the least.'<em> Naruto felt his heart skip a beat as he realized that he had a chance to be with Hinata again. '_This time, I'm not gonna lose you, Hime._'

He was startled out of his thoughts as he felt the chest rumble next to him as Kakashi began speaking.

"Hokage-sama, if I may make a request." He respectfully addressed the older man.

Sarutobi sighed. "I believe I know what you're going to request, and I cannot allow it. You are little more than a child yourself, Kakashi-kun. I cannot allow you to take guardianship of him, especially since you are already know as Minato's student. Like Shikaku pointed out, if Naruto-chan were to be placed in the care of yourself, Jiraiya, or any of the major figures here, no matter what the ties, he will have a target placed on his head before he can even walk. The similarities are just too obvious." He reasoned.

Kakashi hung his head in disappointment, before he was startled by Jiraiya's forceful interjection.

"I'm his godfather sensei. It's my responsibility to keep him safe, just like his parents would have wanted." Jiraiya argued.

"Perhaps, but how safe would he be on the road with you? It could be argued that he would be in even more danger, away from the safety of the village."

"So I'll stay here. I can rent a place for a year or so, while he grows, and then take him on the road with me. Extended training trip if you will." The toad sage proposed.

"And what of your network? You are the only one who knows all the contacts inside of your tangled web. The information you collect is invaluable. I agree you can train him, someday, but I must put the safety of Konoha first and foremost, and where you can serve her best right now is in the field, gathering the whispers that may grow into more if let free on the wind." Sarutobi softly intoned, puffing on his pipe.

Jiraiya turned to look out on the village. Small fires still gave off tendrils of smoke as they smoldered. He closed his eyes in defeat.

"So I'm to leave him here, just like that?" He said.

"I will be having him guarded closely. The ANBU answer directly the Hokage, so there are no questions of loyalty. He will be looked after. I will do my best to make sure he has a good childhood, and when the time is right, you can teach him what it means to be a shinobi, and a good man, just like his father."

Jiraiya and Sarutobi shared a sad smile at the mention of their mutual friend and student.

"I understand why, but still don't like it." He grumbled, running a hand through his spiky locks. "Once he's settled, I want to know where he's living. I also want permission to put protection seals around his quarters."

Sarutobi nodded his head in agreement.

"Until then, sensei." Jiraiya left the office, through his unorthodox method of the window.

Seeing an opening, the silver haired teen approached the hokage again.

"Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked, still stinging from his earlier rebuke.

"If I can't raise him, let me be a part of his guard." Kakashi requested.

"In order to do that, you would have to join ANBU. I admit you are an exceptional shinobi, Kakashi, but are you ready for that?" Sarutobi surveyed the young man before him.

"If this is what I can do to protect my sensei's legacy, yes. I am." He gave the older man a determined look.

"Very well. But know this, as ANBU, you will not be allowed to interact with him as you would otherwise. He is not to be aware that he is even being watched." Sarutobi warned.

"I understand. For now, it's enough."

"Report at 8 am tomorrow morning, and we shall see if you are indeed ready." He ordered, fixing the jounin with his gaze. "For now, leave him with me. I will arrange for him to be placed in an orphanage."

Kakashi reluctantly pulled his shirt from the grasp of the child, and placed the infant in the aged Hokage's hands.

"Get some rest. You're going to need it." He ordered.

The silver haired teen took one last look at the infant before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

Sarutobi took his first close look at the whiskered face of the baby blonde. He was surprised at the focus he saw there. '_Not even a day old, and already carrying the burden of a lifetime. If you're anything like your parents, this village will never be the same.'_

Naruto met Sarutobi's gaze head on, attempting to keep focus, but his new body was fighting him. '_I guess I'm back to the stamina of an infant too, but just you wait, jiji, I'm going to do my best to protect you this time.'_ Naruto thought as he finally gave into the arms of sleep.

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, I'll admit it straight out. This is a test run. I do have more written for this story, but I tend to write in spurts. I feel a little uneasy about posting something that's not finished, but we'll see if it works out.

If there's something that bothers you, like glaring errors, please point them out or give me some pointers.

If your aim is solely to tear somedown for your own fun, please go elsewhere.

Um, I could write tons of denials, but it's safe to assume I'm not a professional writer, so please be understanding?

Anyways, adios y buena noche.

Soprano~in~Waiting

As of 10/16/11: This is somewhat edited after very thought provoking reviews. I hope it doesn't screw with the story too much .


	2. Mama Bear Unleashed

I do not own Naruto. If I did, Ten Ten would have a family name, and more than a bunch of knives (Albeit kick but ones) to throw around.

* * *

><p>Two days had passed since the night of the attack. The hospital was getting back to normal as the injured were gradually being released. The atmosphere was noticeably down, considering the news that had been released yesterday. The Yondaime had traded his life to seal the demon away in a child. There were some who were actively looking for the child, to supposedly finish the job, but no one had been able to pinpoint his location yet.<p>

Isoda Yuuka was finishing up rewrapping one of the infants in the ward.

"There, all done sweetie." She cooed to the little girl as she laid her back in the crib.

"Yuuka-san?"

She turned her head to see one of the newer nurses heading her way with a file folder in her hand.

"Hisa-san. How can I help you?" Yuuka replied with a warm smile.

"Well, I was cleaning up some of the files on the desk when I found this." Hisa started, a hint of confusion in her tired expression. Yuuka took the proffered manila file folder from her hand. "There's no name, and I thought it looked like your handwriting. All the children here are accounted for, and none of them fit the description within the file."

'_Damn, I knew I forgot something. Now what do I do?'_ She panicked inwardly, although it didn't show in her face. An experienced shinobi would have been proud of her.

She perused the file as she looked back on recent events. Hatake hadn't returned with the child, so she had to assume that something was going on that the Hokage didn't want out in the open. As she thought quickly, pieces began to fall in to place, along with the recent news. Yuuka covered as best she could.

"After the attack, the rescue party found a child, but, unfortunately, he didn't live long after they brought him in, poor thing. I never got around to properly taking care of the file. Just leave it to me." She said sadly. "Why don't you take a break. The others can handle it for a bit." Yuuka advised as she headed out the door. She had some questions for a certain old man...

* * *

><p>A knock sounded on the office door, before one of the chuunin peeked his head in.<p>

"Hokage-sama? There's an Isoda Yuuka here to see you. She's one of the nurses from the hospital."

Sarutobi sighed as he glanced at the middle aged man over one of the piles of the dreaded paperwork. '_What now?'_

"Send her in."

Soon thereafter a middle-aged woman with grey streaked brown hair found herself in front of the Hokage's desk.

"What can I do for you, Isoda-san?" Sarutobi politely asked.

She didn't say anything, but tossed a folder down onto his desk. He took the folder and examined the contents, his eyes gradually becoming more serious as he read. He looked up at the woman in front of him.

"I work in the maternity ward. Two nights ago, I was returning from working with the wounded when I heard a child cry. Imagine my surprise when I found an undocumented child in the nursery whose resemblance to the Yondaime is uncanny. Shortly after, a young jounin came in on your orders, taking the child, and not returning." She met the stern gaze of the powerful man, not backing down.

"You're treading in dangerous waters, Isoda-san." He warned.

"Look, I realize that this is a military village. Secrets getting out result in people losing their lives. I just want to know if he's okay." She asked with concern in her voice. She had only seen the child for a few moments, but he had already wriggled his way into her heart, demon or no.

Sarutobi surveyed the woman in front of him. She had a worried glint to her brown eyes, and her stance was one that wasn't about to let go of the matter. The Professor sighed.

"The infant is fine. He's been moved to an orphanage." He informed her.

"But Hokage-sama, surely there's…"

"I assure you, Isoda-san. He will be just fine there." He interrupted, raising a hand to stop her, sensing the argument that was going to come. Silence filled the room for a few moments as a solution to several problems presented itself. He would need people to staff those orphanages, and Isoda wasn't going let go until she was satisfied with his care.

"I have a proposition for you. There are several orphanages that are being set up to deal with the number of children that have lost their parents. They are going to be in need of a nurse to help out. Would you be interested?"

Yuuka considered the sudden proposal. While it would require her leaving the maternity ward, she would be able to check up on the boy, and keep a distant watch over him. All while working with children. The answer seemed simple really.

"When do I start?"

* * *

><p>It had only been two days since Naruto's flash to the past, but it seemed like an eternity to him.<p>

'_It's a good thing most people don't remember anything from when they're babies. Wearing diapers and eating nothing but formula are not what I'd call prime life experiences."_ He complained while he surveyed his new room. There wasn't much to talk about. Utilitarian furniture lined the one wall. There were a few animals painted on the (surprise, surprise) white walls which he supposed were considered cute. Personally, they made him slightly nauseous, so he avoided looking at them as much as possible.

'_At least I have a window.'_ Naruto commented dryly as he watched the afternoon sunlight stream in. He gave a tiny sigh and tried to get back to his planning. He had spent the last two days trying to fight against the limitations of being a newborn, namely sleeping all day. '_It really sucks to go from being one of the top, if not the best, ANBU captains in the village to being a little chibi. Gotta work on getting in shape. Question is, how do I condition myself when I have ANBU-san over in the corner watching me like a hawk?' _

Naruto had avoided actively searching for the guard he knew was there. Most chuunin couldn't detect where the black ops members were when they hid themselves, how could an infant?

The baby blonde had to come up with a plan to how he was going to go about his new life. He didn't relish the fact of completely reliving the academy years and the mistreatment he had found at the hands of many villagers, even if it had been indirect and more along the lines of neglect than physical abuse. He relapsed into captain mode.

**First step: Determine the goal**. Well, he knew that. Do the best he could to change the way things came out.

**Second step: Develop a plan.** How could he accomplish that goal? Naruto realized that if he let things go as they were now, he wouldn't really be able to do much about that until he graduated from the academy. By then, it would be too late, especially for the Uchihas, and more importantly, Sasuke.

'_I'm not going to let him suffer through that again, if I can help it. Itachi was just following orders, and with good reason.'_ Naruto had found the original observation reports a few days after he had accepted his last position. The Uchiha elders, and many of the clan's shinobi, had deserved their fate. What Naruto couldn't understand is why Itachi had killed the rest of the clan. All the children and the civilians who had done nothing wrong except bear the name Uchiha. They didn't deserve that.

'G_oing through the academy again is a last resort option. Hm…'_ If anyone had been watching the young jinchuuriki's expression at this point, they would have been slightly worried at the fox like grin that had appeared on his face. People in his past, er…old future?, would have known that look and run in terror. That look had usually preceded a large and usually ingenious prank.

'_I've already changed this world, just by knowing what's going to happen, so why not do it spectacularly? As long as I can keep people from thinking Kyuubi is running loose, I could have some fun messing with people while training.'_ Naruto liked this idea better and better the longer he considered it.

**Third step: Putting the plan in action. **

'_First thing's first. I'm getting sick and tired of not being able to move like I want. What can I use to remedy that?' _The infant looked around his crib. In the corner was a stuffed dog, which Naruto could only assume was from Kakashi, even though he knew he wouldn't actually be seeing him for awhile, if the last conversation he had overhead was any indication. There was some padding around the bottom of the bars that he could use to pull himself up. Not much to work with in his opinion. _'Unless I can get out of here, it's going to be difficult to do much. I can't even do much about my chakra control until I can move around normally.' _

Naruto gave a huge yawn. _'This is really getting annoying. I appreciate sleep as much as the next person, but this is ridiculous.'_ But protesting would do no good, and as much as he fought it, he was forced to accept defeat, eventually surrendering to sleep.

* * *

><p>Kyuubi glared at the walls around him. He'd only been stuck in here for a few days, from his perspective, and already he was getting bored. At least when he had been sealed in that red head, she had let him see the world through her eyes. Now, he was sentenced to watching stone walls and waiting for the human kit to make his way back through the door on the far end. This had to change. He was not going to stand for being treated like this.<p>

The bijuu turned his head as he picked up the faint sound of footsteps on the other side of the grand wooden doors. One half of the doors opened with a creak of protest as his blonde jailer made his way to the bars.

"**Well, well, so the kit appears." **

"Whatever, listen, I have a question for you. The seal was designed to let your chakra gradually mix with my own. When I used your chakra in the past, it would give me claws and other fox-like qualities, but it was always temporary. Once the chakra left my system, they would go away. If your chakra can make temporary changes, would you be able to make more permanent changes? Say, build up my muscle structure so I can move normally?" Naruto waited as the fox considered his response.

"**Normal is in the eye of the beholder. According to what you've told me, you are an infant at the moment. Lying in a crib is normal for an infant. Infants have no need of 'moving normally' as you put it."** Kyuubi closely examined his apparently fascinating hands.

"If I'm going to change things, I need to start now, not a year from now. That means taking advantage of every possible thing that can help, which in this case means you." Naruto replied heatedly, not appreciating the crafty evasion of the bijuu.

"**What are these people to you? Jinchuuriki have traditionally been treated rather poorly as a whole. Even without having witnessed your childhood, I'm sure you were no exception in your youth. Why are you jumping at the chance to make yourself stronger for the sake of a village that does not even respect you, that hates you even?" **This truly puzzled the great beast. He remembered seeing the treatment Kushina had received numerous times because of her status as a container. The ignorant and half-informed could be cruel.

"That may have been true in the past, but they didn't hate me, per se, they hated what was inside of me. I didn't know that for years, but even then, there were some people who were kind to me. They are my precious people, and if I can save them from some terrible fate because of what I know, then I plan on doing so. I promised myself that I would change this world, and I don't go back on my word. That's my nindo." Naruto declared. His eyes bored into Kyuubi's fiery gold orbs. The sheer force of will that this man-child possessed surprised the ancient being. He had encountered many people in his wanderings over the earth, and few had had that particular trait.

'_**Perhaps helping this kit wouldn't be so pointless after all. Heh, it might even be fun, but I won't let him know that….yet.'**_

"**You've made quite the impression kit, I'll give you that, but it's not going to be that easy. I'll help you, but there is something I want in trade for my aid. These walls are rather boring; may I recommend not going into interior decorating? Your mother and I had an agreement that allowed me to see the outside world through her eyes. I want that again. In return, I will help you get stronger. My chakra has already begun to be absorbed by the seal, once again, but I will increase it marginally to accelerate your healing factor."**

"That's nothing new. Just having you present in me did that before." The blonde argued, not seeing anything new to this deal.

"**If so, it was only passive. This would be active chakra directed specifically to the muscle fibers, allowing all the miniscule rips and tears that occur during normal activity to heal much faster than they did."** Kyuubi explained.

Naruto remained silent as he thought over the offer.

"**Did I mention it would also help you stay awake longer? I do not want a constant view of your eyelids if I'm going to be using your eyes." **Kyuubi was dangling a very tempting carrot in front of the former ANBU captain.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the last point. '_If what he's saying is true, I'd be able to stay awake longer, while being able to retrain my body at a faster rate. It still means a lot of hard work, but that's nothing new. Actually, I don't know if I could respect myself if I had everything handed to me. It's too close to how everyone used to treat Sasuke.'_

"I can see how that would be an improvement to my current situation. How would my end of the deal work?" He asked carefully. Naruto wasn't particularly keen about allowing the fox access to his mind, if he could prevent it. He had had enough experience dealing with the "old" fox, and while this new version was much more reasonable, he still didn't trust him completely.

"**I would simply be an observer. You would still have complete control over your own body and mind. Consider it like a window in a prison cell. I would be allowed to see out, but would not be able to do anything about what I see."**

"What about the chakra? Would that be visible to anyone? I don't want to be locked away because some idiot thinks I've sold my soul to you." Naruto remembered the whispers that he had heard on numerous occasions once he realized why they were whispering. It would not do to have his plans stopped by a suspicious, but well meaning observer. Spending time in a secure cell was not his idea of fun.

"**The amount that would be added into your system would appear to be a result from the seal. The seal itself would have eventually done so on its own, but not for many years. Look over your memories, and tell me, did your healing ability get better over time?"**

The shinobi grudgingly acknowledged that Kyuubi was telling the truth. As he had aged, the time it had taken him to recover had decreased over the years. He nodded his head in acknowledgement of the truth of the demon's words. Naruto considered the entirety of the proposal before him. He could see nothing that would be negative in the long run.

"I accept your deal. What do I have to do?"

"**The seal allows my chakra to flow out, this would merely accelerate it. As for the view, all you need to do is add a window to my side of the bars. Preferably a large one, if you will." **Kyuubi wasn't about to let the boy get away with skimping on his side of the deal. Naruto concentrated for a few seconds before a large picture window appeared on one of the walls inside the cell. The view was black, as Naruto was currently inside his mindscape. Slowly a tendril of chakra slipped out of the bars and headed for the walls, where it disappeared.

Naruto closed his eyes and concentrated on the chakra flow. He was momentarily surprised at the level of his own reserves. They were somewhere between the level of a high genin and a low chuunin. '_Not bad for a three day old baby_' He chuckled to himself. '_Sakura said that chakra was a combination of physical and spiritual energy. I suppose the fact that my spiritual side has had so much experience must have pushed the level of chakra up._'

He focused a little harder until he could isolate the demonic chakra. Sure enough, it was just the tiniest trickle that was surrounding his muscles. If he hadn't been looking for it, he would have missed it. He opened his eyes to see the demon staring at him.

"**Satisfied?"** Kyuubi asked in a bored tone.

Naruto nodded in assent.

"**Glad to do business with you." **The darker haired man said in a mocking tone. **"Now go, before I regret it."** He ordered, quietly retreating into the shadows.

The shinobi quickly headed back out into the maze-like passageways, and returned to the real world.

Kyuubi watched through his new window to the outside world as the eyelids parted to reveal the white walled room.

'_**Let's see what you can do, kit.'**_

* * *

><p>A few weeks had passed. Yuuka began to make rounds of the three different orphanages that had been set up. The first orphanage was mainly populated by those children whose parents had been civilians. It was set up in the middle of one of the civilian neighborhoods. The second one was located in a mainly shinobi neighborhood. While there were no laws about where civilians and shinobi could live, the two had generally congregated in their own neighborhoods. The civilians lived closer to the city's center, where the majority of the trade took place. The third orphanage was located a few blocks from the Hokage tower. Their charges came from a variety of backgrounds, and were generally those that little was known about. Generally, because this was not always the rule, as Yuuka found out. It was here that she found her self-appointed charge.<p>

Yuuka rotated between the orphanages, spending two weeks at each place before moving on to the next. She searched through the children as she gave each child a check-up. It wasn't until she came to the third and final orphanage that she found him. She was going through the room where the infants were housed. The older woman almost gave up hope as she hadn't come across him yet, and this was the last orphanage. Yuuka gave the last little girl a tiny kiss on the cheek as she laid her back in the crib. Her thoughts were in turmoil.

'_Hokage-sama said he was safe, but I haven't seen him anywhere. What if someone got to him? What if he was kidnapped?'_ Yuuka rambled on in her thoughts, worrying as she watched some of the older children play in the twilight sun. Suddenly she heard a terrified scream come from down the hall. She raced to the source of the disturbance. The nurse looked around, confused, until she spotted a door at the very far end of the hallway. Yuuka tried to open it, but it was stuck. She pushed her weight into it. It didn't budge. She examined it again. Someone had locked the door.

'_Why the hell would someone lock a room with a child inside? And an infant from the sound of it. When I get my hands on those idiotic caretakers….'_ The nurse fumed. Not being one to just take things in stride, she quickly went off in pursuit of her target. Yuuka didn't have far to go. As she was about to descend the stairs, a rather portly and somewhat disheveled woman reached the top. Yuuka grasped her arm firmly and dragged her to the door. The cries had intensified.

"You. Open this door. Now." The brown eyes of the nurse were shooting daggers at the woman. Seeing where she had unceremoniously been brought. The caretaker looked at the older woman like she was sprouting feathers and sporting a new striped hide.

"Are you mad? _That thing_ is in there. It could kill you!"

Hearing this, Yuuka grew angrier than ever. The child she had promised to look after was being locked up and left alone?

"Open it. _Now._" The tone of her voice left the caretaker with no room to argue.

"Alright, hold your horses. But it's your funeral." She warned.

The jingle of keys was heard as she found a slightly rusty silver key on the loop. The pudgy woman inserted it into the lock, and with a creak the tumblers turned, opening the door.

In a heartbeat, Yuuka ran inside and scooped the crying boy into her arms, shushing him as she rocked him, trying to comfort him.

Naruto was pulled from his screaming nightmares by an unfamiliar rocking sensation, and immediately stiffened. After a few moments, he realized that it was someone _holding _him, _rocking_ him. _Willingly!_ Strangely, it made him feel slightly better. He had since quieted down and pushed himself away from the stranger to see who exactly was holding him. To his surprise, it wasn't anyone he remembered, or even vaguely recalled. Kind brown eyes met his confused blue. Naruto looked at the clothing that was clenched in his fist. Hospital scrubs?

'_She must be one of the orphanage workers, but what is she doing? Everyone else just leaves me alone._'

Yuuka laughed softly at the puzzled expression that had crossed the blonde's face. She continued to rock him for a little while, just enjoying having him in her arms. As she did so, she noticed something strange. The nurse took him over to the changing table that had been left in one corner. She took a closer look at him. His arms and legs were rather skinny. He also had few small bruises. Furious, she picked up Naruto and went to go find the dumpy woman again.

Yuuka finally found her in the kitchen.

"Would you care to explain to me why this child has obviously not been taken care of properly?" She glared at the woman.

Taking a closer look at the features of the infant, the caretaker snorted.

"What do you mean? He's fed. He's clothed. He has a place to sleep. That's all that he needs." The pudgy woman said. She clearly did not understand why the newcomer was so upset, and about _that_ child of all things.

"He's sleeping in a _locked _room. That's just plain idiotic. He could get hurt, he could _die _and no one would ever know."

"Good riddance." The caretaker muttered under her breath.

"What did you say?" Yuuka narrowed her eyes.

"Nothing. The door's locked because I don't want any of the other children to wander in there. He could hurt them."

"Oh really? An infant is going to hurt someone." Yuuka replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Right next to the one about the salsa dancing goose. He's the one with bruises on his body. If anything, I'd suspect you of hurting him." She pinned the other woman with her eyes, as she held the bewildered infant close.

'_This can't be happening. She's actually defending me, and fighting for me. Nobody ever did that. Well, maybe Jiji, at least when I was younger.'_ Naruto was more confused than ever.

"Now wait right there, I haven't touched that brat more than I absolutely had to. Don't you go accusing me of that." The caretaker argued.

"So you've just left him alone. That's neglect! In fact, have you even been feeding him? He's skin and bones! He should be eating more than he is. If I hear that you haven't been taking care of him properly, I'll write you up so fast that you won't even have time to blink. I'm feeling gracious at the moment, but remember the Hokage's law in the future. We wouldn't want anything unfortunate to happen to you, now would we?" The protective momma bear in Yuuka had been unleashed, and this woman was not going to harm her cub. With that, the nurse left the kitchen and took the child back up to his room, leaving the caretaker in the kitchen, pale faced and looking like she had just swallowed something unpleasant.

Naruto watched on, stunned at the fierce, but brief, war of words that had been waged on his behalf.

'_Well, I'm not going to complain about more food. But I probably made it worse for that old hag. How about that? Not even my first two months here and I pulled a prank I didn't even plan.'_ Naruto snickered mentally. He had probably gotten the bruises earlier that day when he had been working on standing. It was still touch and go, but it was getting better. _'Come to think about it, that's probably why I'm 'skin and bones' as she put it. I've been making more muscle than fat. I guess Kyuubi's part of the deal is working.'_

The motion from being carried as Yuuka headed up the stairs gradually relaxed Naruto. By the time they had reached his little room, he was just about ready to fall asleep again. As she tenderly laid him down, Yuuka did the last thing Naruto expected; she gave him a kiss. The loving action, unasked for and unexpected, stopped him in his mental tracks. A second later, confused thoughts started racing through his brain until he gave up trying to understand them and stopped fighting the call of sleep. The last thing Naruto saw was Yuuka, smiling at him in the moonlight.

'_I guess things are already changing._' He smiled, as he drifted off.

* * *

><p>The next few weeks passed in a dull sort of way for the little blonde. Naruto had managed to work his muscle strength up to the point where he was standing with the help of his crib bars by the age of four months, thoroughly shocking his new baa-san when she came in to check on him one morning. She had been a godsend to his new life. He didn't know how she had developed such an interest in him, but he was glad for her presence, just the same. She became the grandmother that he had never really had, joining the ranks of his precious people. She gave him attention and made sure that he was being taken care of, once in a while taking him with her on her trips to the other orphanages. He worried about her safety, but no one ever took it beyond a few glares. Those she caught directed at Naruto were returned sevenfold.<p>

Naruto daily worked to build up his strength in not only his frame, but also in his speech and mind. He had been tempted to wait until Kakashi made an appearance to say his "first words" as it were, but decided to give that honor to someone who had been much closer to him lately.

Isoda Yuuka carefully closed the door to her own small apartment. With a final check on the lock, she headed down the street towards the orphanage. She returned a few greetings, but had discovered a few weeks ago that some people thought she had been "bewitched by the demon."

'_Fools._ _If they think that little boy is a demon, they should look in the mirror first.'_ She fumed silently. The rebuilding had almost immediately commenced after the attack, but it would be some time before things returned to normal, if ever. Yuuka turned a corner to the orphanage and smiled as she saw some of the children already outside and playing in the small enclosed yard.

"Yuuka-san!"

"Good morning, Shiko-kun, Tai-chan." The nurse answered with a laugh as she was squeezed into a tight hug by the children.

"Can you play with us?" Yuuka looked into the earnest brown eyes of the young girl. Puppy dog eyes were almost always a sure way to melt her heart. She knelt down to see eye to eye to the canine-eyed girl.

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie, I have to take care of some work this morning, but I will come by sometime to play. I promise. Besides, I think that it's almost time for you to go to school anyways, so why don't you go and get your bags?" A chorus of "Awwws" answered that idea, but they dutifully ran inside to grab their stuff.

Yuuka straightened up and headed inside, greeting the children as they ran around her, some playing, some heading out for school. Finally she made it to her first stop of the day. She stopped by every morning to get her charge ready before heading out to check on the other children. She opened the door, which had been left unlocked ever since her little chat with the matron that day, to the sight of little Naruto standing in his crib, waiting for her. Ever since that day four weeks ago, it had been a rare morning where she actually had to wake the little boy up.

The moment she was fully inside the door, he reached out his hands to the older woman.

"Baba!" His tiny voice exclaimed.

Her hand stilled on the door knob. Her face frozen in shock.

'_Baba? I know I've been calling myself his 'baa-san' but he should still be a few months away from talking, yet. He's probably just babbling, testing the feeling of talking. That's right.'_ She relaxed as she realized that it was probably just a coincidence. She pulled the little boy out from the crib and set him on her hip as she gathered up a set of clothes for him, and began to dress him. High pitched squeals and giggles were soon heard as she finished the daily routine with tickling him.

Whatever else her day held, but as long as she could see that smile in the morning, she knew that it was off to a great start. Yuuka carried him downstairs to get some breakfast. She set him in a high chair, and went and got one of the assistants who at least acted neutral towards him to feed him. She left to go check with the matron to see which of the charges were ill today, but she didn't get very far. As soon as she left the room, she heard another cry of "Baba!" Yuuka turned back towards the child. His wide grin almost split his face, once again, his arms raised up to her. She picked the boy up and heard him say "Baba" again, this time, patting at her, as if to make sure she knew he meant her.

"Kami, I think we have a child genius on our hands." The grey streaked brunette whispered as the smiling baby giggled at her in her arms.

Internally, said "child genius" was congratulating himself on his latest prank. With this latest stunt, he could now start talking without too great of suspicion. He just had to take it slowly so it looked like he was picking it up quickly, instead of instantaneous ability.

'_One more obstacle down. It was getting pretty boring in here with just Kyuubi to talk to.'_

Naruto hadn't counted on that aspect when he set out his plans. He wasn't very patient by nature, but he had developed the skill over the years, after he realized that charging in was not always the best idea for his survival. Waiting for several months, possible a year or two for his body to develop enough to train, no problem. Waiting for several months with being trapped inside his own mind, with no one to have intelligent conversation with? That had the possibility to drive him insane. Enter Kyuubi.

Having a tenant residing in the seal had helped him in more than one way. While Kyuubi had enabled him to sleep less than a normal infant, there was only so much that an infant body could take before passing out. Naruto had started having internal shogi games with the demon. Yes.

The Great Kyuubi no Kitsune,

The Nine-tailed Demon Lord played shogi.

Naruto remembered thought back to one of the first few times that he had played against the fox.

_Naruto headed into the great hall that was his mindscape. It had been two weeks since the time jump. To put it simply, he was going stir crazy from boredom. No one was really talking to him, and those that did, gave him that idiotic baby talk. It was driving him nuts!_

_As he got close to the gates of the seal, he let loose a groan of frustration._

_Kyuubi looked on in amusement, a slight grin on his face at his host's misfortune. _

"_Please. Just say something."_

"_**And what exactly would you like to hear?**__" The dark haired man asked._

"_Anything! I'm sick of people cooing at me in that annoying way." The ANBU captain answered on a groan._

"_**Deal with it.**__"_

_Naruto raised his head to glance at the man with an irritated glare before knocking his head against the bars again. It had obviously not been the answer that the blonde was looking for. _

"_**You told me that you would do anything to save your so called 'precious people' Well, 'anything' in this case, includes being treated like the infant you are in the outside world.**__"The demon reasoned. _

_Naruto sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. _

"_You're right. You have no idea how wrong it feels to say that to you, considering the majority of my life you've been urging me to slaughter everything in sight. Not that it was entirely your fault, mind you." Naruto blurted out, noticing the arched eyebrow and steely gaze he was receiving from the being on the other side of the seal. _

"_I'll just have to deal with it, but this is going to be one hell of a test of patience."_

"_**Indeed. Patience is a worthy quality in a warrior. Many have died of a lack of it, but patience is nothing without the knowledge of when and how to act. Prove to me that you possess both, and perhaps you would be worthy of more of my aid."**_

"_Prove myself? Like a test? How do you want me to do that? I'm in a two week old body for Kami's sake!" Naruto yelled._

"_**You think in terms of action. I can see from our interactions that this comes more easily to you than the course which you have been forced to take. I said nothing about a physical challenge. I speak instead of the mind. Play me." **__A devilish smile graced the features of the demon._

_Naruto was confused. Seeing the lost expression, the fox sighed._

"_**Shogi. It is a magnificent human pastime that I have often enjoyed during my roamings. One can tell much about a person by how they play. An excellent testing ground for training in strategy as well. It trains the mind in patience and thinking before acting, which you seem to have problems with."**_

"_Hey!"_

"_**You disagree?"**_

"_Hell yes! I've got patience and there's no way I could have gotten to be an ANBU captain if I had no grasp of strategy. My squad was one of the most successful ones in the corps." He argued._

"_**Perhaps, but how often was that because of a successful plan? And not just your wild luck and Kami-blessed ability to find a way out of tight situations?" **__The fox's rebuttal stilled any other arguments Naruto might have had._

_He had been damn lucky on some of those missions. He had acknowledged it at the time, but thinking back again, it was amazing how he had survived with an intact team, let alone an intact body. He shuddered as he remembered the time that he had almost been caught in the middle of Iwagakure, by the Tsuchikage himself no less! Thank Kami for birds with indigestion. _

"_Wait. I thought you didn't remember anything about our past life. How do you know about any of that?" Naruto pinned him with a suspicious gaze. _

_Naruto watched the demon closely. A slight widening of the eyes was the only sign of any emotion being shown. He could almost swear it was surprise. _

"_**It appears that I have….inherited, for lack of a better term, a few of the memories from my imprisonment. Nevertheless, whether I am in possession of those memories or not, it does not have any bearing on the future outside of this cage. Now, if you're not going to accept my challenge, I suggest you leave me in peace. I would prefer my own thoughts to your incessant ramblings."**_

_The blond thought over the offer. If nothing else, it would provide a relief from boredom._

"_Fine."_

"_**Excellent."**_

_The coming days found the blonde sitting in front of a shogi board placed in front of the cage bars. It was difficult, but Naruto schooled his features to show no emotion in an attempt to keep his thought processes from the fox. At the moment, he thought he was doing a good job of masking the frustration that was quickly building. _

"_**Calm yourself. Your irritation and anger will only cloud your thinking process."**_

_Naruto looked up in surprise. _

"_How the hell did you know that? I know for a fact that I excellent control over my body language when I want to, so how could you tell that I was frustrated?" He was genuinely curious. He had years of practice at hiding how he really felt behind a dopey mask, so how was kyuubi able to find out?_

"_**Simple. Your chakra."**__ Kyuubi replied as he studied the board._

"_My chakra?" Naruto was lost. _

_Again, Kyuubi was astonished at the denseness of his host._

"_**It seems that this knowledge has been lost if the so called elite have no idea about it. Fine. Gaki, what is chakra made of?"**_

"_Spiritual energy and physical energy." Naruto answered quickly, remembering how he had had that lesson pounded into him by his teammate._

"_**Correct. Now what are emotions?"**_

_The ANBU captain was once again lost, not seeing any connection between the two questions._

"_**Emotions are expressions of how the spirit feels. They are the "energy" produced by the spirit. Since chakra consists of the physical and spiritual energy of the body, it is possible to sense another person's emotional state through their chakra. Since this cage is fed by your chakra, I can feel your frustration humming through the bars."**_

"_That's cheating!" Naruto yelled in outrage._

"_**I was not intentionally doing so, but with the strength of the emotions that were running through your mind; I could feel it in waves. If you manage to calm yourself, it would lessen the pressure running through your body, and making it less obvious to the casual observer." **_

_The implications of this information were running through Naruto's mind. It explained so much. It explained why meditation helped with his control, and how he seemed to grow stronger the more angry he grew. _

_Naruto left the chamber of his mindscape to ponder how he could use this new information._

_Realizing the match was over, Kyuubi turned from the gates to observe from his window._

'_**Well, kit, let's see what you can do with that little tidbit.**__' _

* * *

><p><em>AN:_ Oh wow! I'm thankful to everyone who left a review. They really get the urge to write going. I still can't believe how many favorites and alerts I recieved in proportion to how many views. It's astounding!. Anywho, I now this is going slow, but I wanted to get her in there. I only have one more chapter after this written out, and bits and pieces for the next, so like I said, this is still a trial run.

Please leave thoughtful reviews. I try to reply to everyone who sends one, since you take time to write one.

Um, not much else to say, except wishing this stupid cold goes away *grumblemumble*

Special thanks to my bestiest friends Mokimo and Tora-Hime-Melody, who put up with the ramblings before they get put in type ^^;

Adios amigos!


	3. Seeing Monkey and Toad

I do not own anything even remotely coming close to Naruto, since my best art is stick figures.

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><p>The warm afternoon sun lazily drifted into the window. It wouldn't have been surprising to see a cat purring peacefully on the windowsill. Unfortunately, the only cat that could be seen in the room was the tiger mask that was sitting on the belt of the grizzled man behind the desk. The relaxing atmosphere was being wasted on him as he pored over the reports from his subordinates. It had been seven months since the Kyuubi attack, and if anything, his job had only gotten harder.<p>

The brunette ran a hand over his tired face as he sighed. If the stack of papers sitting innocuously on the corner of his desk would have any sort of intelligence, it would have hightailed it at seeing the glare that it was being pinned with at the moment. Taken singly, the reports were simple recountings of missions accomplished and completed. A closer look, especially at the captains' signatures verifying the reports, told another.

ANBU was suffering.

There weren't enough people to both protect the village, take the necessary missions, and yet still have enough to respond to an emergency if it were to occur. The village as a whole was still trying to recover from the attack. Many people had been killed, or permanently injured, by the flying debris and other various circumstances. The ANBU had been some of the first responders to the Kyuubi attack, and, as such, had suffered the most severe losses of all the shinobi sectors.

'_Alright, back to it. Just sitting here won't solve any of my problems.'_ The man thought as he pulled the pile of papers towards him.

'_Complete Roster of Active Shinobi. Finally. Now let's see here…'_

Tora concentrated on the list before him, looking for new recruits to rebuild his ranks. A few had come and volunteered after the attack, and had been thoroughly tested and were in the process of being trained, but it hadn't been enough so far.

'_Hideaki Mamoru, 18, chuunin, taijutsu-average, genjutsu – average, ninjutsu-average…sorry Mamoru, I don't think you're going to make the cut._

_Nakahara Yoshiko, 21, chuunin, taijutsu- above average, genjutsu-average, ninjutsu- average. Special skill with poison usage. Interesting combination. Might have to look more into her._

_Takasa Isamu, 17, chuunin…'_

The ANBU commander was still searching through the roster two hours later when he felt a vague sensation flit across his awareness.

'_I was wondering when he was going to come find me.' _He gave a mental laugh, leaving his face calm and collected.

"Come in, Inu-kun."

Kakashi halted in the midst of reaching to knock on the door, instead reaching for the handle. He strode into the center of the room before standing at attention in front of desk of the older man.

The commander checked a few more off the list before he gave his attention to one of his newer recruits.

"At ease."

The silver-haired shinobi relaxed marginally. He shifted the mask to the side of his face, showing the smooth faced of a monocular teen.

"What brings you here today?" Tora asked in a genial tone, breaking the silence.

Kakashi's heart raced as he tried to find the words to voice his request.

"Sir. I would like to put in a request for inclusion on the roster for a standing assignment."

The elder narrowed his eyes. There were only a handful of those under that fell under the charge of the ANBU.

"Shinobi are rarely allowed to choose their assignments, even less so in the higher ranks. Which assignment are you after and just why should I give it to you? You haven't even been a full ANBU for more than a month." The commander asked in a firm, almost harsh tone.

The teen paused a moment as he fought the urge to fidget under the penetrating gaze.

"I request to be put on the guard detail for Uzumaki Naruto."

A slight arching of an eyebrow and the slight widening of the eyes were the only signs of surprise as the commander considered the dog-masked shinobi. A creak of the chair sounded as Tora leaned back in his chair to get a better view of his subordinate.

"You've answered the 'which' part of my question, but you still haven't given me a 'why'." He questioned in a slow, measured voice. Tora searched the body language of the young man in front of him.

'_I have people literally begging me to be taken off that detail, and now I have one of my most promising newbie's ASKING for it?'_

"It's for personal reasons, Sir." Nothing showed from Kakashi's demeanor to reveal a deeper meaning underneath his words.

"Personal reasons? That's not going to convince me to let you take it. There have been a number of attacks on the child's life already. We all lost family or friends in the attack. You could be another one out for revenge, for all I know." He caught a tensing of the body and a slight intake of breath at the mention of the attempts on the child. Not at the insinuation of him executing one, but at the fact that they had already occurred. _'Interesting…'_

The young jonin studied the wood grain of the desk as he organized his thoughts. _'I don't know how much Sarutobi-sama told him. I don't want to put him in more danger than he's already in!' _

"I understand your concern, Sir, but it is misplaced in this instance. I would never harm him." The older man found himself being pinned by the steely gaze of a single eye as the vehement denial was spoken.

"You wouldn't harm him, but that still doesn't mean that you wouldn't let others harm him." He shot back.

"Never! With all due respect, Commander, I would rather die than let anything hurt that little boy!" Tora surveyed the scene in front of him as the young man tried to rein in his emotions.

A tense silence reigned as Kakashi took deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. He met the eyes of his commander.

"Commander, if you would recall, Sandaime-sama was the one to sponsor my entrance into the ANBU corps." He started to explain.

The tanned shinobi did indeed remember the circumstances. It was a rare thing, as most recruits either volunteered, or were offered a chance to go through the testing. It was unusual that the Hokage would make their support of a candidate known before they had actually undergone the rigorous assessments.

"Sarutobi-sama graciously permitted me to fulfill a debt of honor." Kakashi continued.

"And love." He added under his breath, shifting his eyes to a patch of floor illuminated by the warm sunshine. It was so soft that the older man almost missed it. Almost.

If Tora had been expecting anything, it wasn't that. '_What kind of debt of honor could Inu-kun owe to the little blonde brat? A blond…blue-eyed…brat…'_ Shock froze the ANBU in place as the pieces fell into place. _'No wonder. I suppose that would make him feel obligated to look after the kid. Could actually be better all around, more than adequate motivation in his case.'_

"I see." He carefully worded. Kakashi carefully met the gaze that was now, not so unkindly, focused on him.

"I'm not…opposed to including you on the detail for his guard."

Kakashi let out a relieved breath.

"But," Tora continued, "I need all the manpower I can get on missions, and right now, that includes you. For the good of Konoha, I can't let you sit in that orphanage for the rest of your career."

The shoulders of the silver spiked teen dropped in disappointment.

"I didn't say I wouldn't include you." Tora answered with amusement. Kakashi looked up to see the slight smile flit across his face.

"I'll put you on the rotation for that assignment, along with alternating standard missions. Now if that is all, you're dismissed." He ordered, returning to his papers.

"Thank you, sir!" Kakashi bowed deeply, before leaving the office.

'_Hell of a kid. I might have to thank that little brat if he's the reason that I've got Inu in my corps.'_

Tora once again started a staring contest with the papers. _'Maybe if I wish hard enough they'll grow legs and walk away…'_

o0o0o

'_That child is going to be the death of me.'_

Yuuka would bring Naruto along with her every couple days or so, just so he could get out from that horrible place. Not to mention she enjoyed having the little ball of sunshine around, at least when he would stay around. He hadn't started crawling as much as taken off running.

'_If I didn't know better, I'd swear he's part chameleon and cheetah with how fast he manages to disappear. Every single time…'_

Yuuka searched in a pile of dirty sheets in the laundry room. Not there. Behind the machines. Not there. She searched every possible nook and cranny in that room, even the closets holding the supplies, before she finally concluded that he wasn't in there. She moved on to the last and final room on the floor, the kitchen.

A young girl, probably about thirteen or so, was chopping vegetables for the soup. She was carefully slicing the carrots so they would cook evenly, her tongue poking out the side of her mouth in concentration.

"Hello, Kaede-chan, have you seen Naruto?" Yuuka asked.

The thunk of the knife halted as the teen looked up.

"Naruto?" She asked. "Oh, the little boy you came here with. I haven't seen him. I've been here all morning, 'learning how to be a productive member of society'" she complained.

Yuuka smiled at the annoyance in Kaede's voice as she mouthed the oft-repeated phrase of the caretaker at this home.

"Are you sure? He could have snuck past you." The nurse poked about the room.

"I'm sure. It's just been me and the vegetables for the last hour or so." The young girl replied, waving her hand at the multi-colored mounds surrounding her on the table.

"If you do see him, could you please have someone let me know?"

"Sure thing." Kaede answered as she once again waged war against the carrots.

Yuuka sighed as she took one last sweep before she left the room. _'I hope he didn't get outside. I know he's got 'friends' looking out for him, but still…'_

She headed out the front door, and seeing no one out in the yard, headed around back where she could hear the giggles and screams of the younger children as they played. She didn't see the sunshine blonde anywhere.

"Baba!"

Her heart stopped as she saw the child on the play set, inches away from falling off the edge. It was only a drop of three feet or so, but that was more than enough to injure an infant. With a speed shinobi would envy, she raced to scoop him up before he could fall and hurt himself.

"Don't ever do that, Naru-chan. You could get hurt. You can't keep crawling away." Yuuka reprimanded the child, while hugging the boy to her in relief.

"Sowwy" Naruto softly said.

"I know, sweetie, but you can't keep doing this to me. I don't want you to get hurt. No more running away." Yuuka said as she carried him back to the small room that she used to give the children check-ups.

"Now how about coloring me a picture?" She asked. She pulled out a pad of paper and a small pack of fat crayons. At his puzzled look, she carefully wrapped his small hand around the crayon and pulled it across the paper, leaving behind a vibrant streak of blue in its wake.

Naruto stared at the paper. He had never had the chance to just color before. They would always 'run out' before he had the chance to get any. With true child-like wonder, he began to drag the crayon across the pad again, crossing the line that his baa-san had made. For the next few minutes, the little boy experimented with holding the crayon, changing the angle, the pressure. He glanced at the rest of the box sitting on the floor.

Yuuka noticed the hesitation as she glanced up from the paperwork she was filling out.

"You can use them. Go ahead." The old nurse smiled at him in reassurance that it was okay, nudging the box closer with the toe of her shoe.

Quick as a wink, the box was in his lap. Reaching in, he grasped the, surprise surprise, orange crayon.

He scribbled across the paper with the new color, watching as intersected with the blue, creating a muddled shade of blue. He leaned back to look at his work, the bright orange scribbles popping out of the calm blue background, the shadows of the mixed patches. Naruto stared for a second before he roughly grasped the top sheet and roughly tore it off the pad. Grabbing the green crayon, he set to work once again.

By the end of the afternoon, the little boy was surrounded by a sea of multicolored papers. Scribbles of all shades and sizes covered the pages.

"I don't think I've ever seen you sit still for so long." Yuuka laughed as she looked up from her completed work. "Looks like you had fun. Let's get this cleaned up. Someone special wants to see you." Naruto's baa-san said. She crouched down to clean up the papers. She reached for the one he was holding, but the boy moved before she could get a grasp on it.

"Mine." He insisted.

"I suppose we could always put it up in your room. Would you like that?"

Naruto nodded his approval, keeping the picture close to him. He was inordinately proud of his scribbles. He didn't think he had any artistic talent, but he liked it, and that's all that mattered. Besides, he reasoned that he was training his dexterity with his fingers by drawing, and if he happened to be acting like the kid he physically was, all the better.

Seeing that she was all packed up, he reached his hands up, wordlessly asking to be picked up. Naruto relaxed into the older woman as they headed out the door and into the streets. A few minutes later, he noticed that they weren't turning at the corner which would lead to the orphanage. Instead, she continued straight on ahead. Naruto was puzzled for a moment until he remembered Yuuka talking about someone wanting to see him.

'_She must be taking me to see Jiji.'_ He mused. A grin lit up his face at the thought. Naruto hadn't been able to see the old man in ages. His age, to be precise. Their last meeting had literally been on the day he was born, at least, this time around.

His guess was proven correctly not long after when they arrived at the desk of Sarutobi's personal secretary. They were quickly waved in. The Hokage had been expecting them.

o0o0o

Sarutobi looked up from his stacks of paperwork as the door opened, admitting Isoda and a squirming little blonde. He smiled. It was nice to see life go on after all the destruction and tense situations he had been dealing with.

"Good Evening, Isoda-san. Please, have a seat" The old man genially greeted.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." She replied, inclining her head as the boy started wriggling all over the place.

She seated herself in one of the chairs in front of his desk. Naruto was having none of that, though. Yuuka gave in, and placed him on the floor in front of them. She chuckled as Naruto tried to take off to get in some mischief or other, only to be halted by the firm grip she had on the back of his blue overalls. He turned back to give her a glare, which came out as a pout, causing another bout of laughter. In an attempt to distract, she reached into her bag and got out the pack of crayons and paper. He still gave her a look that said he wasn't happy, but quickly grabbed the supplies without an argument, and was soon lost in his scribbling.

The Sandaime watched the whole exchange closely, laughing at the child's antics, but also concerned. He had had two children of his own, and while it had been decades since they were infants, he could tell that Naruto was not behaving like a normal nine-month old.

"How has he been?" He asked as the child in question started in on another piece of paper.

"He's growing up fast, abnormally so to tell the truth. He actually started walking about a week ago. I swear, he gets into more trouble than a child three times his age." Yuuka started with a bemused grin.

"Trouble? How so?" Sarutobi asked, eyes narrowed.

"Just normal kid stuff." She explained. "Running off on me, hiding, climbing on top of things that he shouldn't be. Earlier today, he managed to get onto the play set in the backyard. Scared me half to death. One step and he could have seriously hurt himself." Worry crept into her voice.

"Ah, I see." The hokage slightly relaxed at the explanation. "May I hold him?"

"Of course!" The nurse carefully lifted the boy up into her arms.

"Naruto, this is your Jiji." Yuuka explained as she rounded the side of the desk, a small smirk on her lips.

"Jiji!" Naruto exclaimed, repeating the new title. Well, new to everyone but Naruto. Sarutobi raised an eyebrow at the new title, silently grilling the brunette as Naruto was placed on his lap. He shot a glare to the far corners of the room where he could hear the rhythmic rustling indicating one of his guards attempting to not laugh. Bright blue eyes once again met his own. A brief stare down took place until a wide smile split his face and he nestled in closer to the Hokage, completely at ease where he was.

Naruto was glad to be back with one of his precious people. Sarutobi's large hands held him securely. Naruto could feel the power coursing through this man, telling the truth of what lies beneath the rather benign looking façade he had affected. '_For an old man, you're still pretty kick-ass Jiji, I can feel your chakra, just from your touch.'_

An idea dawned on the little blonde. '_Chakra…'_ Closing his eyes, he focused on what he could sense of Sarutobi's chakra. The steady thrum of the body next to him filled his senses. Carefully, Naruto tried to focus in on the base components, the physical and spiritual energies. Naruto's eyes snapped open. While he wasn't able to fully read it yet, the little boy could sense the care and concern that Sarutobi was projecting. He felt…loved.

Logically, he knew Sarutobi had cared about him, but the old man hadn't been as openly demonstrative of the fact beyond meeting with him, and making sure he was taken care of. Few hugs, few candid words. To have it confirmed for himself meant the world to him. Naruto relaxed into the embrace, wrapping his arms around the old man's chest.

"From what I can see, he likes you. He doesn't trust easily. I've never seen anything like it. It's like he knows that people don't like him and doesn't know who will and who won't hurt him. We both know he doesn't have any blood family left anymore. Can you honestly say that you would mind if he saw you as a grandfather?"

Sarutobi glanced at the warm body in his lap.

"I suppose not." He muttered as he stroked the child's back.

"He's not as, well, chubby as he should be. Is he eating enough?" He asked as he noticed the thin limbs.

"He eats like a horse. I think it's because I can't get him to stay still. That's the only explanation I can come up with. Naruto's a tiny ball of energy." A tired grin crossed the nurse's face.

"What about the caretakers at the orphanage? I have my reports from his guards, but I want to hear your opinions."

Yuuka hesitated.

"When I first found him, he was thin and there were some bruises on his arms and legs. He was locked in a separate room, away from the rest of the children. From what I could tell, it was neglect more than outright abuse." She admitted.

Anger flashed through the old man's eyes before they returned to a passive state.

Naruto was surprised by the killing intent that had flared through his system before being reigned in.

"And since then?" Sarutobi asked.

"I had a little…chat with the matron at his orphanage. Since then, I've checked in on him everyday, sometimes taking him with me to the other orphanages. The majority of the people there have acted with indifference to him. I'm not sure if that's because they don't know about his burden, or if it's because of your law. The times I've taken him outside have resulted in mostly just glares and whispers. A few words here and there, but nothing concrete." Yuuka sighed as she looked at the unfortunate target for the malicious thoughts of the populace.

Things were getting too serious for his liking. Naruto pulled away from Sarutobi slightly. Gazing up, he got a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He grasped onto the Hokage's robes, and pulled himself up to his feet on his lap. Quick as a wink, he latched onto the hat and pulled it off the man's head.

Hiruzen was shocked for a moment before he started chuckling at the blonde who was now sitting with a grin on his face, looking like the cat that ate the canary, hat over his own blonde fuzz. Both looked up at the flash emanating from in front of the desk. Yuuka met their gaze with a grin and a camera in one hand.

A knock on the glass startled her. In her surprise, she almost dropped the camera. Almost. It wouldn't have done to lose such a heartfelt photo.

A white haired man crawled into the window, near where Sarutobi was sitting. With a tilt of the hat, Naruto looked up and immediately reached up his arms. His godfather had made an appearance. He swiftly grabbed the boy and settled him in his arms, hat and all.

Yuuka stealthily snatched another photo.

"Thank heaven I remember my camera today." She teased.

Jiraiya pouted, but still kept Naruto in his hold. Naruto latched onto his red vest, head tilted to see his Baa-san's reaction. She was still holding the camera up, but a faint air of surprise still lingered.

"I guess there's always a first time for everything." She muttered.

"Huh? Whaddya mean?" The toad summoner asked.

"Oh nothing, just that this is the first time I've seen him so open with people. Normally he waits to see how someone is going to treat him." The nurse explained.

Jiraiya chuckled.

"Smart kid. There are veteran shinobi who are more naïve than him." He bounced said kid in his arms, causing him to smile again.

"Now, Miss…." He trailed off.

"Yuuka. Isoda Yuuka. Resident nurse of the new orphanage system." The salt and peppered brunette introduced herself.

"Isoda-san. If you could just step outside for a moment. It won't be long I promise." Jiraiya ushered her to the door, child in hand. When she reached for Naruto, he backed away slightly.

"It's just for a moment."

Her eyes narrowed in concern before she warily stepped to the outside waiting area.

0o0o0o0o0

"Who's she?" Jiraiya asked, sitting down on the edge of his sensei's desk. Sarutobi paused, motioning for his guards to leave for a few minutes. The toad sage lowered Naruto to his knee and began to check him over.

"If you would pay more attention to a woman's words than her body language, you would have caught it." Sarutobi chastised him.

"Hey! I was too listening, I just….forgot." The student finished lamely.

"Sure you were. Isoda Yuuka. Former nurse in the maternity ward, now resident and visiting nurse of the three new orphanages. And apparently the best champion Naruto-chan could have in the system without my intervention. Smart woman. She was the one who found Naruto-chan in the hospital nursery that night, before I sent Kakashi to fetch him. Figured out most of his secrets without even having anyone else point them out." Sarutobi mused.

"Most? She shouldn't even know about the fox. No one outside those few in the council the night should have known. And yet, I've been hearing mutterings and whispers for weeks." Jiraiya started heatedly.

"Peace! Jiraiya-kun. I've dealt with those who leaked that particular information. Two civilian councilors let out the word that Naruto was…more than a simple orphan." Hiruzen explained.

"And the rest of them? If I remember correctly, you stated that 'those who know of his burden are not allowed to speak of it, even to him. On pain of death.' Well, the fox is out of the bag. How do you propose handling this now?" The student questioned, holding the boy closer to him.

Sarutobi studied the gaze of the child which was now on him.

"I will do the best I can. Two of the village's most respected citizens have been executed because of their lack of restraint. It has spread to the point where it is not feasible to execute all those implicated. We would no longer have a village. I've ordered my ANBU and the police corps to keep an eye out for those found spreading the news, but I doubt any will do it so openly after the example I've had made. I've ordered the guards to be more watchful. A few attempts have been made on him, but they appear to be dying down."

Jiraiya nodded in agreement. He knew how hard it was to quash rumors once they've been let loose.

"Rather quiet isn't he?" He commented.

"So you've noticed it too. That was part of the reason why I called you here. I wanted your opinion on the strength of the seal. I know you checked it before, but this is just a precaution." Sarutobi insisted, quelling any argument before it could be raised.

Getting up, Jiraiya moved to the couch next to one of the walls of the Hokage's office. He handed the hat back to his sensei, who placed it on his desk as he stood to join him. Gently, he lay down his godson, who just watched the two men draw closer to him. He tried to push his shirt back down as cool air reached his exposed stomach. A large hand prevented him from doing so. With a tingle, Naruto felt chakra enter his system, causing the seal on his stomach to appear.

With the foreign chakra came the emotions present in his godfather's chakra. He had expected the concern present, but something else caught his attention. Jiraiya was wary of him, unsure of what he would find. Naruto turned his eyes back to him, trying to catch his attention with a wave of his hands. Jiraiya looked up, and saw the deep blue eyes, surprisingly warm. A bright smile lit Naruto's face, infecting Jiraiya and causing a small grin before he caught his hand a placed it back down at his side. Back to business.

Jiraiya studied the inky black image for a few moments, head twisting this way and that to wring any sort of order and understanding from the figures there. A few minutes passed before Naruto began to kick and wriggle, with a sigh, Jiraiya let him go, lowering the shirt as the chakra faded from the seal. Scrambling off the couch, the boy made his way back to the papers and crayons on the floor.

"Well?" His sensei questioned.

"The seal is as strong as ever. The sentient portion of the bijuu is securely locked away behind the seal." He frowned.

"But?" Hiruzen prompted, voicing the silent continuation of his student's analysis.

"While the design of the seal allowed some of the prisoner's chakra to escape and merge with the host's own system, there seems to be a larger portion than what I had predicted circulating in his coils."

"I see. What would be the affects of this, in your opinion?"

The toad sage pondered for a few moments. "Just the chakra? Perhaps an advanced healing factor. Possibly physical development at a tad faster rate from what I can observe right now. Tsunade would know more than I. Kushina-chan had the former, but as the demon was placed in both and Mito-sama after they had grown, for the most part, I can only guess that based on his appearance."

"The fox is still imprisoned." The Sandaime stated.

"Hai, the fox is still where it belongs." He agreed. The room fell quiet, only the scribbling of the crayons could be heard as Naruto once again "worked on his dexterity."

"So how's he been? Besides a few glances during the night, this is the first I've seen him since…" Jiraiya asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, I believe. Beyond the abnormal growth, physically he's fine. But I'm not the one who can answer those questions for you." He said, making his way back to the cushy chair.

"And why not? I trusted you to watch over him, while I tended to the network." Jiraiya turned to his mentor, growling quietly, as to not disturb the boy from his drawings.

Hiruzen bent his head over his folded hands, looking every bit of his fifty-six years.

"Jiraiya…I-" He started.

"You what? Handed him off, and forgot about him? Left him alone?" He accused the elder.

"Enough. If you're going to start blaming me for abandoning him, look at your own actions first." Sarutobi spoke, his voice low and chastising. "I know that I haven't watched him as carefully as I should have, but that's no reason why you should be accusing me of not caring. You know as well as I that we had to be careful. The attack left this village in disarray. I have been working to restore what Minato gave his life for. I've said it before. The village comes first, even before personal cares. I haven't seen my own children very much in the last few months. I've watched from afar, I made sure my orders were being followed. You have no right to accuse me of being anything less than what my duties demand. Now, if you would rather find out more about little Naruto-chan, instead of throwing a tantrum like a schoolchild, then I would advise you to let in Yuuka-san."

Jiraiya looked confused as to who she was before he remembered the middle aged woman waiting outside. He moved to readmit her to the Hokage's office.

Swiftly, the older woman made her way in, first heading to check Naruto out. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she settled back into the chair in front of the desk.

"I apologize for hurrying you out earlier. Shinobi business and all." Jiraiya apologized.

"Yuuka-san, meet Jiraiya, my student, and sensei of the late Honorable Yondaime Hokage." Sarutobi spoke, waving his hand to indicate the white haired man in front of her.

She relaxed slightly, now being able to pinpoint who this man was.

"An honor to meet you, Jiraiya-san." Yuuka murmured, bowing her head in acknowledgement. Jiraiya raised an eyebrow to his sensei at the honorific, who just gave him a smirk.

"Could you please tell me a little bit about Naruto-chan?" He questioned.

"What would you like to know?" She eyed him warily.

"Oh, just how he's been. What's he like?"

Yuuka thought for a moment, watching the child go through another sheet of paper.

"He's a bright boy. Always looking into things, always curious." She started describing the child. Before long she was talking about how he had managed to find his way into the back garden, watching a line of ants, laughing the whole time. The two men joined her, often asking questions in between stories. Naruto, at some point, had crawled into Sarutobi's lap again, soundly falling asleep. Realizing the late hour, Yuuka began to pack things up before reaching to pick up Naruto. At her touch, he woke up. Seeing the stack of papers that she had piled up of his doodles, he reached for them. Taking the top one off, he waved it around in Jiraiya's direction. She tried to take it back, but he insisted. Finally the toad sage got the hint and took it from him, a little surprised at the reaction.

"Thank you, Naruto." He told the small boy with a smile, as he waved another paper at Sarutobi.

Satisfied his doodles had been passed out, he turned back to Yuuka.

"Baba, home?" He asked.

"Yes, Naruto, We're going home now. Wave good-bye." She told him.

With a quick wave and a sleepy smile, they left the office.

This was the first Naruto had spoken while Jiraiya was around. He hadn't been around many children, but the articulation was shocking at his age.

"I guess that answers that question. I think we can safely say advanced development is a yes." He muttered.

* * *

><p>AN: Again, thank yous go out to all the readers, those who wrote reviews (I'm sorry if I didn't get to you! It's been a crazy week.) and everyone who put K-ANBU on their alerts and favorites list.

This is the last chapter that I have typed out fully, so it'll most likely be slower updates now. I can't promise steady updates as student teaching is getting interesting. FYI: Six graders have tiny attention spans….

Thanks to Tora-Hime-Melody as always! My lovely sounding board, and awesome friend.

Adios,

Soprano-in-Waiting


	4. Poor Babysitters

I don't own Naruto. If I did, he would be wearing purple, not orange.

* * *

><p>A genin lazily wandered around the perimeter of the clearing. Children of various ages were running around. Sharp giggles and laughter sounded throughout the lazy summer air. Inao Togai was bored out of his mind. The chestnut-haired teen heaved a sigh as he swatted a few annoying insects away.<p>

'_Stupid D-ranks…I could be out guarding a caravan or hunting rogues, not babysitting a bunch of brats!'_ A look of annoyance crossed his face as he saw a group of the snot-nosed brats heading his way. With the still developing grace of the shinobi, and newly learned skill of tree-walking, he quickly climbed up to the lowest branch of a nearby tree, safely out of the reach of the orphans he was supposed to be watching.

'_Mission only said we had to watch them and keep them safe, not entertain them.'_

"Whoa! That's so awesome!" One of the young boys exclaimed. His eyes were wide at the feat that Togai had just done in front of them.

Togai snorted. It took so little to amuse kids. They would ooh and ahh over the smallest things.

"Thought I'd find you here, Togai-kun." A sudden voice nearly startled him out of the branches.

"Risa-Sensei! Don't _do_ that!" He screeched, totally destroying the image of the cool shinobi he'd been trying to project. The female jounin giggled as he tried to gather himself.

"A shinobi should be aware of their surroundings at all times. I wasn't even masking my chakra signature. There's no reason you shouldn't have detected me." The slender brunette pointed out as she twisted a lock of hair around her fingers. Togai pouted.

"What are you doing up here? The mission parameters were to watch over the children during the outing, along with making sure they all made it back to the orphanage. Last I checked, the children couldn't climb so high in the trees. They don't even have wings to fly." She lightly chided.

Togai remained silent, evading his sensei's gaze.

"Inao Togai." She barked out. He flinched. A mad Hida Risa was not something he wanted to experience. Ever. Again.

"Yes, Sensei?" He warily responded.

"These kinds of missions are more than just babysitting a bunch of children. The goals of a mission are not always simply what are written on the mission scroll. Always look beneath what is obvious." She stated, reverting into lecture mode.

"What do you see down there?" She asked, nodding her head to the groups of children below them, playing.

"A bunch of brats." He answered.

"Wrong."

Togai's brow furrowed in confusion. Risa-sensei continued.

"I see the future of this village. On average, around fifty percent of these children will one day attend the shinobi academy. They are our future protectors and comrades. Now how do you suppose they end up there? The caretakers aren't shinobi, or at least, not active duty. They have no family to guide their decisions. So how do you think they decide they want to be shinobi and kunoichi?" She questioned.

Togai thought about it, while he watched one little girl sneak up on her friend, and tackle her in the tall grass.

"Their babysitters?" He muttered.

"In this case, yes. At least once a month, the Hokage sends out genin teams to interact with the children in the orphanages. We are the ambassadors of the shinobi world to them. We show them a few tricks and talk with them about the exciting lives we lead. Granted, we keep the more gory details to ourselves. Now, unless you've taken an interest in teaching the birds how to be shinobi, I suggest you find your way back down the tree." She recommended, read ordered, with a smile.

Togai stayed still. At least until he found himself falling from the branch. With a thud, he landed on his back. When the world stopped spinning, he saw the short-haired figure of his sensei, smiling down at him as she waved. '_Stupid sensei…'_

With a groan, he raised himself on his elbows. He was about to sit up when he found a kunai pointed straight at his chest. Togai froze...before realizing that the weapon was being wielded by the ever ferocious figure of a six year old girl.

"It dropped out of your pouch when you fell." She squeaked, blushing as she held it out.

"Er…thank you…?" He trailed off, forgetting her name.

"Tai." She supplied.

"Thank you Tai-chan." He said, while storing the kunai into the pouch that had come open. He inspected it briefly; the magnetic closure must have torn off during the last mission. Togai glanced at where his sensei had been, remembering their chat.

"Hey, Tai-chan, I seem to have lost my kunai. Tell you what. If you help me pick them up, I'll show you how to throw them." He offered.

Her eyes widened in awe.

"Really? Thanks, nii-san!" She exclaimed before going off into the long grass to search for more kunai.

"Remember to only pick them up by the loop for now." He yelled, while searching around on his own.

"Hai!" Tai yelled back.

Neither saw a blonde toddler snag a few before heading back into the brush.

O0o0o0O

Naruto carefully ran away from the clearing. Not far enough to get lost, but still enough that his activities wouldn't be discovered easily. With a little jimmying, he managed to squeeze past the rocks that separated his own little haven from the outside world. He didn't know exactly how the little clearing, naturally surrounded by large stones had formed, but he was thankful that no one had discovered it yet. Judging by the melted stone, and little bit of ash that could still be seen, he had a theory that it had happened during the attack, but he didn't actually know for sure. He had stumbled upon it during their monthly trips out to the surrounding woods for a picnic.

The trips had given him the perfect opportunity to create a clone and switch out with it, leaving him free to practice and train. Since they were always accompanied by a genin team, he would time it with one of the genin showing the kids a flashy jutsu to mask the release of chakra.

With one final tug, he pulled himself out of the narrow opening. He grabbed the tiny backpack that he had begun to carry around. After shifting aside the crayons, paper, and stuffed dog in the top, he found his latest prizes. The kunai he had so recently scavenged.

While stones may work for aim, there's nothing like solid steel in his hands. He had missed it over the last few months. With a rock, he scored an "X" on the rotting trunk that had fallen into his training area. As he got accustomed to throwing the knives again, he thought over the last few months.

Things had been going well. He had definitely gotten stronger, and faster now that he thought of it. '_I think being able to outrun four out of five preteens chasing after me before bath time is a good start. Won't be long before I have ANBU after me again.' _

He had started to "read" with Yuuka. With the newly added skill that he was able to display, all sorts of things could be explained away with simple phrase: "I read about it." Same concept with the writing. While the coloring had helped, his fingers were still lacking in the fine motor skills to truly start the calligraphy process. Rough characters were another matter.

'_One step at a time._' He sighed, missing the tree completely for the third time. Naruto felt the frustration bubble up in him, before he realized it. With a deep breath, he tried to rein it in, lest he unknowingly attract unwanted attention. It was bad enough that had to sneak around Yuuka, but having to avoid Kakashi-sensei nearly broke his heart.

He had discovered the grey-haired man as part of his guard a few months ago. He had been practicing sensing chakra when he caught his chakra signature in a nearby tree. The little blonde's first reaction had been to run over to him and hug him tight. Before he realized that he wasn't even supposed to be able to tell the ANBU were there.

After nearly an hour's worth of practice, he noticed the angle of the sun in the sky. Nearly time to go back. He carefully laid the majority of the kunai in a sheltered ledge. He packed one into his bag. Just in case.

He created a kage bunshin, and quickly dispelled it, to alert his clone that it was time to swap.

With one final check, he wriggled back out, and headed back to the group.

O0o0o0O

Hatake Kakashi, currently codenamed Inu, carefully kept watch over the small child that was his charge. While the summer heat was stifling in his armor, he wouldn't let it get to him.

'_Think cool thoughts. Ice, Snow, Pools of water._' He tried to convince himself, to no avail. Then it dawned on him. Carefully, he focused his chakra to a trickle of what he could use and used the weakest wind jutsu he knew to surround himself with a breeze. He couldn't keep it up forever, but it would do for now. He closed his eye in relief, enjoying the brief respite. With that little annoyance taken care of he could do his duty more carefully.

He searched for that blonde mop of hair, saw him head into some brush after a ball that he had mistakenly kicked into it. Kakashi smiled at the boy playing. He glanced around at the surrounding area. He turned back to where Naruto was.

'_Now that's odd. I could have sworn he just went in there. Did he kick it back in already?_ _I guess he has some of Minato sensei's bad luck at times.'_ He chuckled. As the genin started rounding up the children, he got ready to leave, scouting out the area for potential hostiles. When all heads were accounted for, the group trudged back to the village, grimy and tired from a long, fun day trip outside the city proper. Kakashi stilled briefly when he felt a flare of chakra, but a quick scan of the area produced no signs of anyone in the area, so he returned to the group.

O0o0o0O

Clone Naruto paused briefly in his play as an influx of info came. Thankfully he had been waiting for the ball to come his way, so he quickly kicked it into the bush where he could swap out with his creator. He waited out for a few seconds before he heard Naruto prime coming in from the other side. The real Naruto grabbed the ball from his clone and headed out of the bush. The clone waited till the rest of the group had left and then dispelled.

When Naruto got back to the orphanage, he quickly headed to his room. He needed to find a place for his kunai before someone took it away from him. Carefully, he felt around under his crib. He felt a small ledge upon which the mattress rested. Hearing footsteps he slipped it under there, safely within reach, should the need ever arise.

A few seconds later, his favorite nurse entered in. Seeing the towel in hand, he felt a grin spread across his face as he took off.

"Uzumaki Naruto get back here!" She yelled after him.

Twenty-three minutes later, a twelve year old boy held him by the back of his shirt, presenting him to an impatient Yuuka.

"He he…Hi, Baba." He waved.

With his wide grin, Naruto tried to wriggle out of trouble, but that idea was quickly dispelled as she hauled him up to the bathroom and dumped him in the bathtub.

"I swear Naruto. How do you get so dirty?" She mumbled, exasperatedly as she scrubbed him raw. Naruto winced as she hit a tender spot.

Sensing the discomfort, Yuuka stopped, and took a rag, wiping away the layers of dirt. Underneath was the start of a bruise. A rather large bruise.

"Naruto. Did something happen this afternoon?" She quietly questioned him.

Naruto's mind raced, trying to find an explanation that he hadn't used in a while.

"Nope." He said, in a feeble attempt.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" She spoke softly, lifting his chin to look straight at him.

"Hai, Baba." Naruto answered, looking away, not able to face those caring brown eyes with a bold-faced lie.

"Then what happened?" She pressed on. Naruto stared at the bubbles below, batting them around with his hands.

"Naruto-chan?"

"I fell." He finally answered.

"You fell? What happened?" She asked. To get a bruise like that it had to be more than a simple fall.

"I tried climbing the trees like the nii-sans." He muttered.

"Of course..." She muttered. The genin had been demonstrating climbing trees at one point, so of course he had tried to copy them.

"Naruto. I know that you're growing up fast, but there are some things that you're not ready for yet. Please ask before trying anything like that again. Okay?" She gently scolded.

"Hai, Baba." He nodded.

"Now hold, while I fix this." She smiled warmly. A minute application of chakra later, and the bruise was already starting to fade.

After the bath was taken, and everyone was settling in for the night, Yuuka was sitting in the rocking chair in Naruto's little room. The little blonde was sitting in her lap, reading along as she was pointing out the words of the book. A gift from his godfather at his last visit. Naruto drifted off to the tale that had given him his name.

0o0o0o0

Tora sat at his desk, once again fighting the unwinnable fight of all administrators. Details upon thousands of details lay scattered in the separate leaves of paper. It was easy to glance over them and file them away, never to see the light of day again. Oh how many times he was tempted. No, the role entrusted to him demanded that he focus. The smallest detail could lead to the largest of disasters.

It had been almost two years since the attack, and not long after that, tensions had risen between Konoha and Kumo, putting a strain on the shinobi forces as a whole, but more specifically on his own division.

The threat of war had called for upping the number of patrols along the border, as well as inside the village. And yet, as the patrols increased, so did reports, which added to the strain of sifting through the chaff to find the kernels of info that could be pieced together to form a whole. A never-ending cycle. Tora had just finished the stack of the newest intel received from the border. The Kumo nin seemed to be withdrawing, following the agreed upon concessions that were about to be signed upon in the treaty. All signs pointed to acts of good faith, something sorely lacking in the past.

With a sigh, he set aside the last of the stack. A few strokes of the pen and his summative report was written for the hokage. He pulled the next stack of folders to him. He glanced to the door and satisfied that it was closed, he settled his feet on the edge of his desk. Might as well let his body relax, even if his mind wouldn't.

As he quickly read through the reports, his brow began to crinkle in slight confusion. He moved to the cabinet, and pulled out another folder. A quick glance did nothing to relieve his mood. Throwing the tan folder on his desk, he reached for the next one. The graying commander took each folder and laid it out on his desk. Three pictures looked up at him from the front of each file, each of the same individual a few months apart.

"Why that little brat…" Tora muttered, while a grin spread across his face. Seems like the boy inherited more than just looks.

0o0o0o0

"ANBU!"

Hearing the cry, Inu was instantly alert, looking for the danger. He zeroed in on where it came from, transporting himself there in an instant. There he found a distraught Isoda Yuuka, standing in an empty bedroom, blankets at her feet.

"Where is he?" He snapped.

"I came to check up on him, and he wasn't here. I checked the rest of the house, and he's no where to be found. I'm beginning to think someone took him. So help me Kami, if they think they can get away with-" She started growling.

"I'm sure he's still in the area. Bear, Owl." He quietly called. Two of his squad appeared standing next to him. "Scout out the area, he can't be far. Report once you've found him."

The ANBU had checked out the area before she brought him home with her, for however infrequent the visits, just in case someone took advantage of the impromptu sleepovers Naruto would sometimes have at his Baba's house. There weren't any extreme dangers in the area.

Inu took a tour of the room. The door hadn't been locked against interruptions. The heavy winter blankets lay were Isoda-san had tossed them. He couldn't see any signs of disturbance that would indicate foul play. He inspected the window. No tool marks, pushed open from the inside. He looked down, the lace covering on the bedside tabled had been mussed. Inu leaned over the frame of the window. There in the ground were a set of child sized footprints, barely there, but still visible to his trained eye.

"That little rat…_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!_" He intoned, as his hands flew through seals. A small brown pug appeared. Inu grabbed a tiny shirt off the floor where it had landed. The pug yanked his head back to prevent getting smacked with the shirt in his face.

"Find him." His master ordered, exasperatedly. A few sniffs later and the pug was ready to go. He circled around the room a few times, jumped up onto the mattress, scrambled onto the table and out the window.

"I'll find him, Isoda-san. Don't worry." He reassured her, in as friendly a tone as an ANBU was allowed.

"You better." She glared at him as he followed his summon.

0o0o0o0

Kakashi followed Pakkun as he raced down the scent of his little rascal of a charge. Down the street, left down an alley, left down another side lane. Under a few stacked boards…

While tracking after his nin-ken, the silver haired teen tried to fathom what could possibly motivate a two year old to run out into the streets, _through his window of all things!_ Best to find the kid first, and then question the hell out of him later. Once Naruto was found safe and sound, of course.

At the end of an alley, Pakkun paused, turned to him, and nodded his head in the direction of the small bundle moving away from him around the corner '_Gotcha.'_

Kakashi quickly stepped behind the toddler, and swung him up into his arms.

"Nooo. Let me down! The bad man's got her!" The little blonde shrieked. At the sound, a dark figure bolted away from the shadows as the masked nin caught him lurking there. Kakashi dropped the child.

"Stay. Here. Or else." Kakashi hastily threatened. Without even looking to see if his orders were being obeyed, he let a shrill whistle go, calling his pack-mate to him. Pakkun appeared in a shadowy blur, they were off, tracking their new quarry.

Naruto watched them as they sped off, and then at a slower pace, due to much shorter legs, ran off in the same direction. At a few intersections, he paused to reorient himself, searching for that release of chakra. He peeked around one final corner and found the two shinobi battling it out fiercely with taijutsu. Slowly, as to avoid attracting more unwanted attention, he crept towards the bundle that had been tossed aside at one point in the chase. The little blonde dragged it towards a darkened corner.

He slowly unwound the cloth to reveal the unconscious form of Hyuuga Hinata. Naruto gently unwrapped the rest, careful of possible injuries. Finding no bleeding wounds, he grabbed the blanket, and, laying her in his lap, wrapped it around the both of them to ward off the winter chill until their pursuers caught up with them. The blanket was warm. Adrenaline from his nighttime "stroll" began to wear off. The steady breathing of the warm body next to him lulled him into slumber.

0o0o0o0

"-d me to the district. I attempted to apprehend him when he started exclaiming about a 'bad man'. Moments later, an unknown fled the scene. I pursued, with the assistance of my ninken, to where I tracked him down several blocks away. After a brief fight, I was able to pin him down until reinforcements came to take him to a holding cell." A familiar voice reported.

Naruto fought off the grogginess that was surrounding him. He realized he was in the Hokage's office. The same blanket that had been wrapped around Hinata was still surrounding him as he huddled into the couch. Voices could be heard, muffled through the thick cover. His first instinct was to move the blanket, but no, that would alert them to his listening, if they didn't know already. Better to just stay quiet.

"And the children?"

"Both were found huddled together not far from the site of the altercation. The Hyuuga daughter was returned to her home. She appears to have sustained a slight concussion, but there were no lasting damages. Naruto was unharmed." The masked teen informed his hokage.

A weary quiet filled the room.

"I congratulate you on a successful capture, Inu-kun, even if it was not your primary charge." The Sandaime's gruff voice stated. "Next time, I would appreciate it, if you wouldn't leave the child you're supposed to be guarding all alone in the middle of the street." Naruto could almost hear Kakashi flinch.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." The teen replied, thoroughly chastised.

"Returning to the matter at hand, did you ever discover the reason why Naruto-kun had left his lodgings?" The elder man questioned.

"No, Hokage-sama. He has been asleep ever since I found him with the Hyuuga heir." Kakashi replied.

"What I'm more interested in is how a two year old boy manages to give the slip to a whole squad of ANBU." A new voice interjected. It was rather rough to the ear, as if more used to yelling orders than quietly conversing. Naruto was once again tempted to take a peek at the newcomer. He had never met this person before. That he knew, either in his old past or his current life.

"As am I, Commander." Sarutobi added wryly. Tension filled the room.

Kakashi felt a blush creep under the cool porcelain mask.

"Well, I- He-" Kakashi stuttered.

"I'm sure you would have delivered a very fine piece of bull, but I think it would be best to let the little eavesdropper tell his own story." The man once again interrupted.

Naruto felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, as if being targeted by unseen enemies. Slowly, he reached up to grasp the edge of the blanket covering him. He pulled it down to find three sets of eyes, one of which was hidden behind a mask, pinning him to where he lay.

"He he…hi, Ojii-san…" He gave a faint smile, and a feeble wave.

"Naruto…How long have you been awake?" Sarutobi asked him pointedly.

"Not that long." Naruto answered.

"It's rude to listen in while others are talking. You know that, right?" Sarutobi scolded him.

Naruto nodded, as he dropped his head, ashamed at being reprimanded by his grandfather figure.

"Naruto-kun, how did you get out of the apartment?" The owner of the new voice questioned him. The muscled man wore a uniform similar to the ANBU standard, but altered in places to hold more scrolls and specialized tools. A tiny single black star rested near the collar.

"Who're you?" The blonde asked, blunt as ever.

"Naruto, manners." Hiruzen warned, as the elder ANBU chuckled.

"I like him already. I'm a shinobi, young one, but you can call me Tora for now." The now named Tora gave him a sincere smile as he bent down to offer Naruto a hand in greeting. Warily, Naruto took the hand and shook it, before quickly withdrawing it from the callused palm.

"Now why don't you tell us how you got past your babysitters." He asked again.

Naruto started to panic. '_Ohnoohnoohno Now what do I do?' _His thoughts raced around his head, trying to figure out a way around this sticky situation.

"Um..I…I…" He started, resembling a recent acquaintance.

"Yes?" Sarutobi prompted. Naruto fought the urge to squirm under the gaze of two of the most powerful shinobi in the village, along with his future sensei.

'_Half truths. It's always easier to lie when it's not all a lie. Didn't Jiraiya say something like that once?'_

"I- I knew where they were, so I just kinda…went around them." He explained. Tora's eyebrow arched.

"You knew where they were posted? How?" The war veteran inquired.

"I just…did."Naruto explained, trying to get away being as vague as possible.

"Did you see something? Or maybe hear it?" Sarutobi supplied.

"I just felt that kind of warm feeling you get when you stand next to somebody, only it wasn't right next to me." Naruto admitted. At least sensing chakra couldn't get him thrown into the mad house, right?

"Sensor?" Tora shot to Sarutobi. He pondered it for a moment before he sat back in his chair, a little surprised at the turn of events.

"It's possible, I suppose. Never knew either to have it though." He muttered.

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama, but that's not entirely true. Sensei was able to detect chakra presences in the vicinity by touching the ground. Perhaps Naruto inherited it to a greater degree?" Kakashi interjected.

Naruto's eyes shot wide open. '_Dad could sense chakra? That's so cool!' _

"We got the 'how' but that still doesn't answer the why." Tora turned back to Naruto. "Why did you follow the 'bad man' as you called him."

"I could tell that someone was really scared, so I looked out, and I saw the man carrying the blankets. I had to help so I just went out the window after him." He said.

"Naruto. What you did was very dangerous. You could have been hurt." Sarutobi once against scolded him. "But it was also very brave. I don't want you to do anything like it ever again, at least until after you've grown up. Understand?" Sarutobi caught him with a piercing gaze that made Naruto want to do nothing more than to agree with him fully. He nodded his assent.

"Good. Now I want you to go with Inu here. There's someone who's been worried sick about you." Sarutobi ordered. Naruto hopped off the couch, eager to get away. The silver-haired ANBU hoisted him up into his arms. Before they left, Naruto heard the barest whisper in his ear.

"If you ever run away like that again, I swear I will make what Isoda-san has waiting for you look like a picnic."

Naruto gulped, before disappearing in a shunshin with his future sensei.

0o0o0o0

As soon as the duo disappeared in a puff of smoke, a deep belly laugh began to fill the room.

Sarutobi looked on as his comrade appeared to have cracked right in front of his eyes.

"I fail to see the humor in this situation. Are you well, Ryo?" He asked, worried about his subordinate, who now had a few a faint tears gathering at the corner of his eyes.

"Right as rain, sir." He choked out as the laughs died down.

"Then what, pray tell, is so funny?" The bewildered older man inquired.

"The little brat. He's been pulling the wool over our eyes for the last few months." The ANBU commander revealed.

"I assume you mean Naruto. I would ask that you refrain from calling him such." Sarutobi frowned.

"Aye, him." Ryo waved him off. "Tell me, what do you notice about the kid?"

A puzzled look flitted across his face.

"What do you mean?" He prompted.

"I mean, what do know about him? How he acts, his likes, dislikes. Anything out of the ordinary." The ANBU asked, moving to brace himself against the Hokage's desk.

"Well, Naruto's an exceptionally bright boy, but still a two year old child nonetheless. He gets in trouble on more than the rare occasion. He laughs. He plays. Why? Do think there's something…else going on?" Hiruzen was worried. He had been monitoring the seal, along with his student, but perhaps there was something he had missed?

"I'm not sure if there is…outside influence yet, but let's just say that he's well on his way to becoming a shinobi." Ryo alluded.

"Oh?"

"As you know, there have been ANBU guards assigned to him, essentially since he was born. The most interesting fact is something that was just tentatively confirmed, pending further testing. The boy has a gift for sensing chakra. That explains a number of strange occurrences that have been happening. Tonight was the first major event, but according to a number of my men, there have been times when the boy will turn and look at them, and smile." Tora explained.

"The manifestation of the chakra sensing." Sarutobi added.

"Exactly. The other points aren't as obvious, I suppose, but it is my theory that the child has been trying to train himself."

The Sandaime's eyes flew open in shock.

"Train himself? How would he even know where to start?"

"Monkey see, monkey do?" Ryo suggested, shrugging his shoulders. "We send genin teams to expose the orphans to the shinobi lifestyle, so it's possible that he's just trying to emulate what he sees the genin doing. I have on record at least one admission of that to his caretaker."

"I can't imagine Isoda-san is too pleased at having her conversations listened in on." Sarutobi said, one side of his lips tweaking up into a smile, imagining her reaction.

"It's for Naruto's protection, I assure you." The ANBU promised.

"As you say, but if she ever does find out, you are on your own." The hokage continued. "But, back to the topic on hand?"

"Yes, well, there are other reasons as to why I believe he is attempting training on his own. As you would know, children do like to be chased, but he seems to turn it into an art form, trying to evade capture as long as possible. I don't think he's ever used the same route twice, at least when I've checked up on him. The poor academy students don't know what to do with him anymore." Ryo chuckled.

"Circumstantial evidence. You forget who his mother was. It's more than likely the prankster showing true." He dismissed it with a wave of a hand.

"Possible, true. The fact remains that planning such evasions does take a certain amount of planning, as well as the physical stamina to put them into action. We can hem and haw about the details for as long as we want, but the fact is that it _is_ possible that he's working out how to do these things on his own." The cat masked ANBU asserted.

"What do you want me to do about it? He's too young to enroll into the academy." Sarutobi frowned.

"Why not some private training? Just to ensure he doesn't hurt himself, or others? You can't deny that he has the potential to be an excellent shinobi. It would be a shame to have it stifled because of lack of support." Ryo suggested.

The old man tapped a rhythm against he desk as he pondered the suggestion. It could work, if it were handled appropriately.

"If I were to agree to this…proposal, who would you suggest as a sensei?"

"We would need someone who is open-minded at the very least. That he shows such potential at an early age is more than surprising, even without considering his burden. Discretion would be a must, as if certain factions caught wind of this, there would be no telling what uproar it could cause."

Sarutobi nodded in agreement.

A mischievous grin spread across Ryo's face as an idea dawned on him.

"Child prodigies are not like the average child, by definition. Perhaps…birds of a feather? Or should I say dog?" The commander proposed.

"You think he's ready to teach?"

"He's been a fine shinobi, one of the best. Who better to teach the next prodigy?"

"He may be one of the best, but he's still a teenager." Sarutobi argued.

"I'm not asking that he be reassigned as a jounin-sensei. The kid just needs a little guidance. Look, I'm sure he would jump at the chance to get to spend time with him. It's not like he's a complete stranger, which is always a plus when dealing with children." The grizzled man reasoned.

The old hokage rose from his chair as he moved to look over the slumbering village. Lights could still be seen aplenty, especially illuminating the Hyuuga compound in the distance. Individual fireflies of light moved about in the dark streets. Sarutobi understood the reasoning behind what Ryo was asking of him, but was he willing to start the child down such a dark path?

'_Would that you were here to guide him.'_ Sarutobi wished as his eyes trailed to where he knew his successor's face was carved.

It could be beneficial to the village if he were to be trained to his potential. And even if he decided to not become a shinobi, his circumstances demanded that he be able to defend himself…

"Very well." Sarutobi sighed, as he rubbed a hand over his tired face. "If you can spare Kakashi-kun for short stretches, he can be allowed to start training the boy. But only if you can get his unofficial guardian to agree to it." He added, grinning slyly.

"You're on." Ryo replied, accepting the challenge, before slipping his mask on and exiting the room.

* * *

><p>AN: Ever just have a character that runs away on you? Yeah, I feel like that now...

Anywho, I heard back from many of you (thanks!) about the pace of the story. Yes, I know it's slow, but it's starting to pick up.

Thanks to le diosa who has been an excellent conversation partner over the last few days, as well as to everyone who left good detailed feedback. I know there are parts that maybe not everyone agrees with, but it's good experience trying to figure out why exactly I wanted them that way.

But perhaps this week it might be interesting to see what you all think about what happened, because I will admit being on cold meds for about 75% of this chapter's writing time...

Hugs to Tora-Hime-Melody for being my rubber wall ;)

Have a good night everyone!

Adios,

Soprano~in~Waiting


	5. Playground Politics

*Peeks around the corner. Runs out and drops chapter before disappearing out of sight again.*

I don't own Naruto, only a pretty cool Konoha keychain.

* * *

><p>It had been a few days since his little night time stroll. While Naruto's backside had since healed to the point where he could sit again, he had gained a healthy respect for his Baba. He had run out on her once without leaving a clone. Kami forbid that he ever have to do that again. He shuddered at the possibilities.<p>

Naruto continued scanning the pilfered books from one of his older housemates. '_They really should learn to put this away._' Naruto grinned. '_I should have paid attention to these earlier. There's actually really good information in here. Then again, it was so much fun learning about this hands on.'_ The text, _Expect the Unexpected_, was a goldmine of information on trap construction, and avoidance. Basic info, but there were a few ideas that he hadn't tried yet. '_Hm…didn't know you could do that with marshmallows…"_

So intensely concentrated on reading his book, Naruto didn't realize there were footsteps coming his way until they were a few feet away from his door. Hurriedly, he closed the book and shoved it under one of the pillows on his bed before the newcomer could poke their head in. He looked up to see Yuuka coming in, a strange look on her face.

"Come here, Naruto." She asked, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

The little boy complied, coming to a stop in front of the nurse. She took a good look at him, spun him around quick, and then sighed. He looked down. He didn't see anything wrong with his clothes. Well, he _may_ have gotten into one of the less explored corners of the attic today, but that wasn't anything new. She quickly stripped him of his dirty clothes and pulled out a white shirt with an orange swirl on it, along with a new pair of pants.

Naruto was confused…it wasn't time to go see the Hokage again, and he's pretty sure that she was supposed to be assigned here today. Trying to get a read on her actions, he grasped her hand briefly and felt a tiny surge of the usual caring, but also worry and annoyance.

"Baba? Are we going somewhere?" He finally asked as she threw his dirty clothes in the basket at the end of his bed.

"Not we. You. Someone's _asked_ you to come out to play today. Let's not keep them waiting." She replied.

Naruto caught the slight sarcastic stress, as if she didn't appreciate this unknown person's method of asking. He was still confused.

"Grab your coat." She ordered as they were about to leave the room.

"Yes, Baba…"He muttered with a roll of his eyes. Naruto soon felt a sharp rap to the top of his head.

"Hey!" He cried, rubbing his head. "What was that for?"

Yuuka just raised an eyebrow.

"Geez…" He mumbled. Another rap.

"What? I didn't do anything!" He whined.

"You know better. Now let's get going, or you're going to be late. And we can't keep his _lordship_ waiting…"

As they journeyed, the everyday buildings and shops slowly changed to the grander and more elegant compounds of the clans. Naruto's eyes widened as they stopped in front of the Hyuuga Compound.

After a few quiet words with the pale-eyed guards, they were escorted into the main house. Yuuka and a now curious Naruto were shown into a small waiting room. She kept a tight hold on the little boy, as if afraid he would damage something if he were to be let go. A minute later, a side door slid open to reveal a woman in traditional robes. She glided into the room, displaying a tiny hint of the grace that a deadly shinobi possesses. A closer look revealed decorated senbon needles in her hair, and a very well concealed kunai in her obi. Naruto's eyes widened as the pieces clicked into place. A slight rustle caught his attention.

A wide grin split his face as a small hand came into view, followed by a shy white-eyed little girl.

"Good afternoon, Isoda-san. Thank you for allowing Naruto-kun to visit. I promise we'll take good care of him." The woman, who Naruto now realized was Hinata's mother, greeted the pair. She extended her hand to Naruto. He looked at her for a second, before he slowly responded with his own.

"I expect nothing else, Hyuuga-san. He should be back to the orphanage in two hours, if you wouldn't mind." She replied stiffly. Yuuka bent over to look her young charge directly in the eye. "Have fun, and be good." She instructed, as she reached down for a quick hug.

"Yes, Baba." Naruto replied, wrapping his free hand around her neck.

The Hyuuga matron smiled at the warm display. Sharing one last silent conversation as she locked eyes with the paler eyed woman, Yuuka followed the escort that had appeared out of the room, leaving Naruto alone with the two Hyuuga females, one of which he had technically already met.

"Well, young man. I'd like you to meet my daughter. Say hello to Hinata." She said as she maneuvered Hinata to stand in front of her. The little girl complied, but still kept a hand on her mother's skirt.

Naruto smiled widely at the shy young girl. "Hi, Hinata. My name's Naruto." He introduced himself.

She dared a swift glance at the blue-eyed boy, before mumbling a soft hello in reply.

With introductions over, Hinata's mother summoned a servant to bring their coats, which they quickly bundled up in. The trio headed to a nearby playground, guard in tow, of course.

As they walked, Naruto caught a few glares being given off by the passersby, who soon found them returned by a Byakugan-enhanced scowl. Naruto could have laughed as he realized what was going on. _'I guess Hiashi found out I was involved somehow. Trust the Hyuuga to involve toddlers in political games…'_

This little outing wasn't just about having Hinata and Naruto play together. It was a silent gesture of support, a political move in Naruto's favor.

This continued until they reached the playground. A few children were using the equipment. Slides were filled with a trio of giggling girls as they zoomed down the plastic incline. The swings creaked as two boys raced each other to the highest heights. Naruto glanced at the elder Hyuuga. She urged them both out to play with a pat on the back. He took a few steps forward, before running back to pull yank Hinata with him.

The boy dragged her all over the grounds until she started chasing him around. They played their pick-up game of tag, climbing over the jungle gym, under the slide, around the trees. She chased him everywhere, never quite catching him as they laughed in the afternoon sun.

Naruto hid behind the trunk of a tree. Glancing to check where his pursuer was, he started running in the opposite direction until he bumped into someone. He looked up to see a pale, dark-haired boy looking down at him. On his forehead was a hitai-ate, only slightly dented, indicating the newness of it. Naruto had just run into Itachi Uchiha. Granted, he was only seven, but knowing that this calm, dark-eyed boy had wiped out the majority of his clan in one night did a lot to put things into perspective. He stared stupidly at the boy, trying to wrap his mind around it.

"Uh….sorry." Naruto finally said, crawling back onto his feet. He brushed the dust off his pants and jacket. He took another look at Itachi. Itachi wasn't alone. With him was a small boy, a little older than Naruto himself. Naruto's eyes widened into saucers. His breath caught in his throat.

The little blonde stood frozen for a second, before bursting into hysterical laughter. Tears began to run down his face. He doubled over and fell onto the ground.

"Duckling….butt…hair…." He gasped out between laughs, pointing at the other boy.

Itachi looked at the blonde, trying to determine if he was still in his right mind or not. He was distracted from the slightly disturbing sight by his brother's hand leaving his grasp. The young genin looked to find his brother running away, tears beginning to crawl down his face. Itachi sighed. He began to head over to see if he could calm his brother down. He was startled by the same blond boy who had caused the commotion running after Sasuke. Itachi quickened his pace, intent on dragging the blond away by his neck if he had to. He followed the direction the two had headed off into. He finally spotted Sasuke curled up with his head on his knees, muffled sobs escaping from him. Next to him, the whiskered little boy was crouched, trying to get the black haired boy to look up.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to make you sad." Naruto told him, sincerely sad that he had made the boy cry.

"You laughed at me." Sasuke cried.

"I didn't mean to." Naruto said.

"Did too!" Sasuke yelled, and tried to swing a small fist at Naruto. The blonde ducked out of the way, which just made Sasuke madder.

Itachi watched the exchange from a distance. He wondered whether he should interfere or not. The blonde seemed to be trying to apologize after all. As the sobs began to change to flying fists, the decision was made. If he brought back his brother hurt, his mother would not be pleased, to say the least.

The two young boys moved around the playground, almost dancing as one attacked and the other dodged. Naruto had been enjoying himself, evading Sasuke's weak punches. It reminded him of the spars they had had as genin. Granted, he had always been the one punching…

Seeing his brother's temper escalate, Itachi swiftly intervened, gently restraining his brother's wrist as he got ready to swing another punch. The genin looked up, surprised to see a branch house Hyuuga standing in front of the other boy.

The two shinobi started a staring match, neither willing to back down. Naruto sighed as he tried to walk around the Hyuuga. A callused hand reached back to keep him behind the taller man. Naruto ducked under, and walked up to Itachi, who was still holding a squirming Sasuke by the wrist. The pale-eyed guard reached to drag him back to supposed safety.

"No, don't," Naruto told him, stalling the hand in mid-air. The blonde boy turned back to Sasuke.

"Look. I'm sorry, ok? I didn't mean to make you sad… it just came out. An accident." He explained, looking to Itachi for help with his brother.

Itachi crouched down to Sasuke's level, still holding his hands. "He said he was sorry, Sasuke. Now apologize for trying to hit him."

Sasuke glared at his brother. The two-year-old's sullen pout would have made the genin laugh if they had been anywhere but in the middle of a potential clan conflict.

"Sasuke…" Itachi warned.

The boy in question glanced at his erstwhile foe and muttered a brief "sorry".

Itachi straightened to his full height and turned to the other shinobi. The guard wasn't alone anymore. Seeing the blonde in potential trouble, the Hyuuga matron had joined them. Naruto could feel the slight tension in the air as he looked between the three dojustu users.

"I apologize for my brother's actions. My otouto can have a bit of a temper sometimes. As neither was hurt, I hope we can put this behind us." Itachi spoke as he gave a brief bow to his elders.

Hinata's mother was impressed with the polite apology and maturity shown by the Uchiha heir. To be expected of the village prodigy she supposed.

"All in the past." She reassured him with a smile and a slight nod of her head. "I bid you good day, Uchiha-san. Come Naruto-kun. It is almost time for you to leave us for the day." She beckoned. After collecting Hinata from where she was hiding, they left the park.

It was a silent walk to the Hyuuga compound until Lady Hyuuga heard a low mumble from her blonde guest.

"Sorry." He muttered, head down watching his feet.

"Whatever are you sorry for, dear?" She asked, puzzled by the boy's reaction.

"For getting into a fight. I didn't mean to laugh at him, honest! You were so nice to me, and then I mess it up like that." He whispered. Naruto genuinely felt bad. Not only had he made his hopefully future best friend cry, but he'd done it while under the Hyuugas' watch, which could reflect badly on them. With any luck, it wouldn't go past anything more than what happened in the park, but one never knows with the clans. The Hyuuga and the Uchiha were never on completely amicable terms to begin with. The little blonde just hoped he hadn't made it worse.

The woman stopped walking and knelt down in front of him.

"Naruto-kun, you have nothing to apologize for." She softly spoke, tipping his head up so he could look her in the eyes. Even with her holding his chin, he avoided her gaze.

"Naruto-kun." She spoke in a stronger voice, forcing his attention back to her.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of. While I'm a little disappointed that it happened, you handled it far better than I could have hoped for. You made me proud that you could act so grown up. Now let's head home." She told him, before standing up and continuing on their way.

When they reached the main house, a stoic figured waited for them, kneeling on the front porch, as if in meditation.

"Daddy!" Hinata cried, finally letting go of her mother to run to the man. Naruto was shocked when the Hyuuga head opened his arms wide to wrap her in a hug and smiled. _Smiled!_ His blue eyes widened at the display.

He looked up to see Hinata's mom smiling along with them, eyes dancing at the sight. Hiashi looked up to see his wife, walking up the path with the young blonde still beside her. He let Hinata go and stood up to greet them. He quickly hugged her too, before turning his pale eyes on the boy. Naruto squirmed under that gaze.

"Uzumaki Naruto." He addressed him. Naruto couldn't decipher anything from his tone of voice. It wasn't flat, but there wasn't anything obvious that he could read from either it or his expression.

"Yes, sir?" The boy carefully asked.

"Come with me." The clan leader commanded. Naruto glanced at Hinata's mother. She gave him a small smile and then walked off, Hinata in tow. Not sure what he was getting into, Naruto complied, following Hiashi into the garden.

As the older man walk, Naruto just followed along silently, waiting for some sign of what was going on. He stopped at the edge of a small pond. A gnarled old cherry tree spread its dormant branches over the water. The pair listened to the winter breeze rattle the bare branches as they watched the fish swim to and fro underneath the surface.

Hiashi let out a deep breath and turned to his toddler companion. If Naruto had been a few years older, this could have been a much scarier conversation, but as it was, he was just a little puzzled as to what Hiashi could still want from him. He had already shown public support for the Jinchuuriki, what else could he have to say to him?

"Thank you." Hiashi uttered softly. Naruto, for the second time, was startled by the same man. The sincere words rattled him more than any show of support or honor could have ever done.

'_I would never, in my entire existence, have expected that'_

Hiashi caught the same startled appearance of the blond and smirked slightly.

"Naruto-san, you appear surprised. It is traditional to show appreciation for aid in times of need."

"Sir?" Naruto hesitated, unsure about how much the Byakugan wielder knew of the situation.

"You are more intelligent than you lead most to believe, young man." Hiashi scolded slightly. "You foiled a plot to take my daughter, my heir, from this village. For that you have my thanks. Take this, as a sign of thanks from the clan." The elder proffered a small muted silver medallion, strung on a leather thong. The Hyuuga crest was inscribed on one side of the disc, and the kanji for "friend" on the other. "It shows that you are a great friend to this clan. Should you ever need help, show it to any Hyuuga, and they will aid you."

Naruto looked at the pendant, turning it over in his hand a few times before lifting the cord over his head. He gave a short bow to the head, and thanked him for the honor.

"You also have my thanks as a father. It is a terrible thing to face losing a child. I hope you never have to experience it. You will always be welcome here." Hiashi once again softly smiled at the boy. A servant came into the garden, and bowed to the leader.

"It appears the time has come for us to part for the day. Remember what we talked about, young one. Good day." Hiashi said in parting, leaving Naruto alone with the servant. He was quickly led out the door and back to the orphanage.

'_Oh, is Baba going to be surprised…'_

0o0o0o0

Ryo fingered the place where his Tora mask was sealed on his belt. One pulse of chakra and he would have it in his hand again. He always felt more exposed out in public with a bare face. He gave a weak chuckle as he realized that it was probably a sign that he wore it too much. Hiding behind the smooth porcelain and sleek lines. He eyed the building before him. Inside was one of the toughest obstacles he had ever faced in his years as a shinobi: a mother. Or, at least, the closest thing to a mother that this particular recruit had.

Ryo glanced about the darkening street. The early nights of winter were closing in on the village. The ANBU in civilian's clothes walked through the gate of the orphanage yard. Inside he could hear the scrabble of children as they ran about getting those last few moments of play in for the night. With one more fortifying breath, he knocked on the door. A few seconds later, a young girl with blond pigtails opened the door.

"Good evening, is Isoda-san here?" He politely asked.

"Yuuka-san! Someone's here for you!" She yelled over her shoulder.

Ryo winced at the volume the young lungs were capable of. A few moments later, a familiar grey streaked nurse came to the door. Seeing that the required person was now there, Tai took off, leaving the two alone.

"Good evening, Isoda-san," Ryo genially began, "I would like to talk to a few moments, about your young charge." Yuuka raised an eyebrow warily.

"Sarutobi-sama sent me." He added. She relaxed minutely, hearing the Hokage's name, but still kept her guard up, like a mama bear seeing a threat to her cub in the distance.

'_Damn you, Hiruzen! Why am I sucker for a challenge?' _Ryo mentally lamented.

"Perhaps, there is somewhere more private for us to discuss this?" He prompted, gesturing indoors.

"Come in and follow me." She spoke in a commanding tone. He was strongly reminded of some of his veteran captains. The two weren't that dissimilar to be honest. The new recruits often acted more like children than shinobi at times.

Up a flight of stairs and down the hall found them inside a tiny room that housed a myriad of different first aid supplies and the like. A filing cabinet on one end caught his eye. It was covered in childish scribbles of all sorts of colors.

"Naruto's artwork. He's gotten quite good for his age." Yuuka commented as she closed the door, seeing where her guest's attention had wandered. "Now, you wanted to see me about something?" She asked, seating herself by the neatly organized desk.

"Ah, yes." Ryo cleared his throat, wondering how best to approach this.

"I'm sure you've noticed that Naruto seems to be quite developed for his age. Superior motor skills and intelligence levels for a child so young. I've had people guarding him from day one. As I read through the reports, I've noticed a number of things that appear odd at first glance." He explained.

"Odd? Like what?' Yuuka asked, pinning him with a stern gaze.

"The last few months, he's been able to locate each of the personnel assigned to his protection. It's almost as if it's a game to him. I don't know if you realize how rare it is for such a skill as chakra sensing to be, but for it to appear in a child that is only 26 months old is unheard of."

Yuuka was back on guard. The way this man was gushing over Naruto's supposed skills did not bode well for where this conversation was heading. If he wanted what she thought he did, he would have to step over her dead body to get it. She narrowed her brown eyes at the man before her. Ryo shifted under the piercing eyes, before continuing.

"Naruto is a very smart boy. You, as his primary caregiver at the moment, should be aware of his evasion skills. He leads his caretakers on elaborate chases. If he doesn't want to be caught, it's hard to do so. The complexity of the routes is unusual, suggesting a mind for tactics. My people have caught him at times sneaking into the belongings of some of the academy students to um, 'borrow' their textbooks."

A surprised look flittered across her visage before she glared at the door, imagining a little blonde who would need a lesson in privacy.

"Naruto has shown an interest in the shinobi arts. We are aware of at least one instance in which he admitted attempting to train by himself. Monkey see, monkey do, if you will. By only watching genin, he has been able to pick up rudimentary skills." Ryo shrank into his chair as the aging brunette brought the full force of her building fury onto him.

"I know of only one time when he's said anything of the sort, and that was as part of a private conversation. Are you telling me that you've been listening in on every conversation I've ever had with Naruto?" She ground out. Apparently the blond wasn't the only one in need of a lesson.

Ryo gulped.

"It's only for his protection! I assure you. Neither of us wants anything to happen to the child." He spilled out, hoping to calm her down.

"For his protection? I would never let any harm come to that boy if I could help it, and you think _I'm_ a threat?" Yuuka raged at the ANBU. She shot up from her seat, pacing the tight space to try and reign in her temper.

"Not you, per se, but anyone who comes into contact with him has to be watched nowadays. It's all a precaution. I am not implying that you, personally, are any sort of danger to the boy." He tried to rationalize. '_To me…that's another story…'_

"Isoda-san. I realize that you probably don't want to hear this. The less you know about it, the better in all reality, but this is a shinobi village. There are some measures which are required to protect the people. The only time that my men are authorized to take such measures as listening in to your conversations is when there is an unusual occurrence during their shift. That particular day had been one of an outing, in which one of my men had felt an unusual discharge of chakra." Ryo recounted. "Nothing came of the event, but it would have been better to have looked into it, rather than missing some detail and regretting it at a later date."

Yuuka stilled, and stared at the art covered cabinet.

"You keep talking about 'men' and 'personnel.' Just who are you?" She finally demanded. Theories and assumptions were fine, but knowing your opponent always makes for better plans of attack.

Ryo studied the middle-aged nurse. There were so many answers that he could give her, but which would help get him to the desired result. He glanced at the closed door. He fingered the seal on his belt. He pushed chakra into it as he came to a decision. Feeling the weight of the mask drop into his hand, he pulled it out from under his loose shirt. The deep color that had colored Yuuka's rage slowly drained from her face as she eyed the mask. She connected the dots as she realized who it was before her, and what it could mean for her boy.

"Your men?" She quietly asked. He nodded.

Seeing her reaction, Ryo replaced the mask where it had been.

"You're a smart woman Isoda-san. You have determination, loyalty, compassion. You would have made a fine shinobi." The ANBU commented. "There's something else I wanted to bring to your attention before I make my request. A few days ago, you found Naruto missing in the middle of the night. A subsequent search by my subordinates found him some distance a…" Ryo paused as something brushed at the edge of his senses.

"You know, I think someone else should be telling you this." He said as he rose from his seat and opened the door to find a little blond crouched just outside the door. He grabbed the boy by the collar of his white shirt. Ryo felt a new cord about the boy's neck. Pulling it out, he gave a snort. '_Apparently someone told Hiashi…'_ Slipping it back beneath the boy's clothes, he hauled him in before the nurse.

"This really needs to stop being a habit, Naruto-kun." The ANBU remarked drily.

"Hehe…" Naruto tried to look innocent, which neither adult was buying at the moment.

"Habit?" Yuuka queried.

Ryo sighed. "He'll get to it. I'm not going to let him leave until he explains his little adventure a few nights ago." The elder male was grinning, slightly sadistically. He was going to enjoy seeing Yuuka's anger directed at someone besides his own self.

"Uh…well…you see…." Naruto stuttered as his Baba fixed him with her intent stare.

"Yes, Naruto-kun?" She asked, deceptively sweet. A tense silence filled the room.

Naruto grimaced. '_Bandage ripping time…_'

"I kinda left through the window to help someone who I could tell was scared." He blurted out. Naruto cracked open an eye to see her reaction.

Yuuka paused to puzzle out what the blonde had said.

"You…what?" She bit out. Naruto tried to sneak behind Ryo, who swiftly moved, exposing him to the angry woman.

"You're on your own kid." He smirked.

"Tora?" Naruto suddenly asked as he realized where he had seen the man before.

"Right in one. Good memory. Now get explaining."

"Traitor." He muttered as Ryo, also known as Tora to the blonde, laughed at the boy.

"I could tell that someone was really scared, and I couldn't just sit there, so I went out the window." He explained a second time, slower.

"You just went out the window? Why didn't you come get me? Or let someone else know?" Yuuka interrupted.

"Let him finish, it gets better, or worse, depending on your point of view." Ryo added.

"Well, I went out the window and followed them. Inu-san found me before I could find out. He told me to stay put, but I went after him. I followed after him and found him fighting with the bad man. I could feel the person who was scared close by, and I found Hinata-chan. I fell asleep and woke up in Oji-san's office. Tora and Jiji asked me some questions and then Inu-san brought me home." Naruto finished up.

"You forgot about your little eavesdropping." Ryo reminded him. Naruto shot him a glaring look.

"Let me get this straight. Inu-san told you to stay put, and yet you followed him? To where he was fighting?" Yuuka asked, once again fighting her temper.

"Yes, Baba…" the boy admitted.

"Naruto-kun, if an adult tells you to do something like that, especially like that night, it is for your own safety. You can't go off on your own. You could have been killed!" She yelled.

"But I wasn't!" He threw back.

"Maybe not this time, but it could still have happened." She argued.

"Naruto-kun." Ryo suddenly spoke, getting the blonde's attention before the argument escalated any further. "Have you been doing shinobi training on your own?"

Naruto froze in his tracks.

"What do you mean, Tora-san?"

"Exactly what I said. Have you or have you not been doing shinobi training on your own?" He asked again.

"Depends on what you mean by training." The Jinchuuriki temporized.

Ryo was getting tired of the games.

"Stop avoiding the question. Have you been practicing using your chakra? Or borrowing academy materials from your housemates without their knowledge?" Ryo grabbed the boy by the shoulders, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it from the horse's mouth.

"Yes, sir." Naruto finally answered.

"Naruto! What did I tell you about that?" Yuuka scolded the boy.

"To ask before I did anything like it." He muttered, looking at his feet.

"How would you like to learn how to be a shinobi for real?" Ryo suddenly offered.

The boy's head shot up almost hitting Ryo in the nose. Blue eyes were wide with disbelief at his good luck.

'_Kami must love me! This is exactly what I needed!' _

"Really?" He exclaimed, childish excitement filling him.

"No. Absolutely not." Yuuka interjected, gesturing her refusal vehemently.

"Isoda-san. Naruto has already admitted to training on his own. Wouldn't it be better for him to learn it properly, instead of fumbling around on his own? With the potential to hurt himself and others by his experiments?" The ANBU pointed out.

"Better for who? You?" Yuuka accused. "What do you get out of this?"

Ryo paused. To be honest, he was looking forward to the day the young prodigy would join his forces, but to tell her that would be a one way ticket to the door.

"Look, we wouldn't be training him to be a human weapon, if that's what you're worried about. If he had been born to a clan, Naruto would probably have started being trained from the moment he showed any hint of wanting to be a shinobi, or at times, even without an expressed desire." The ANBU tried a different line of reasoning.

"But he's not. He's an orphan. You and I both know it. Why should I let you take his childhood from him before he even has a chance to experience it?" Her eyes turned cold as she crossed her arms in front of her.

Ryo crossed the room until he was right in front of her.

"We both know that he won't have much of one to begin with, if certain factions would have their way. Some of those groups are more prone to violence than others. I'm offering a way to teach him to protect himself from those people." He quietly asserted, wary of being overheard by the boy.

Yuuka glanced at the boy who was still standing where Ryo had left him. He was so thrilled about this. She could almost feel the excitement rolling off him in waves.

"If I were to agree to this, _if_," She started, "What would you be teaching him?"

Ryo could have danced a jig at the turn of events. Of course, his sense of professionalism prevented him from anything of the sort.

"I wouldn't be teaching him personally. Hokage-sama and I decided on a suitable sensei for him. This would not be a full time training, like genin teams are. It would be more like private tutoring. An afternoon here and there. Enough that Naruto could still learn without being rushed into it." The grizzled man explained to her.

"Am I allowed to know who his sensei is?"

"One of my subordinates. You've already met him in fact. Inu-kun was the one who brought little Naruto-kun back a few nights ago." Ryo grinned.

"Inu? Awesome!" The blonde squealed. '_I got Kakashi-sensei back!'_

"Naruto, it's getting late. Go get ready for bed, I'll be there shortly." The nurse ordered him.

"Awww…" He groaned, but obediently shuffled his feet towards the door.

"Wait." Ryo called. Bent down close to the boy and whispered something to him, which caused the blonde to nod his head in agreement. "Good lad." Ryo smiled, and pushed him on his way.

"What did you just tell him?" Naruto's Baba asked him, suspicious.

"Just to make sure that he didn't tell anyone about the training. We don't want to attract anymore attention than he did this afternoon."

"This afternoon? All he did was go for a playda…of course." She trailed off. Eyelids slid over brown orbs as she realized what that entire arrangement had been about. "They're using him like a pawn, aren't they? Just another tool to be used to further their own prestige." She snorted.

"Politics is a tricky arena, even for those with experience. In this instance, I believe it was all for Naruto's benefit, a thank you of sorts. The Hyuuga showed that they wouldn't stand mistreatment of the boy anymore. Even declared him a friend of the clan."

"What?" Her jaw dropped. It was an honor bestowed on very few.

"So you didn't notice the new jewelry, did you?" The shinobi teased, eyes sparkling at finally having something he could hold against the woman, as little as it was.

"Obviously not." She responded sarcastically.

"When would his training start?" Yuuka asked, returning to the subject.

"Inu has a few days of paid leave coming up, I'll send him over to pick the boy up then. He'll only be gone a few hours. He might come back a little tired and sore, but hopefully nothing beyond that. Inu will make sure that any serious training mishaps get attention immediately." Ryo said, stalling the next question with a wave of his hand.

"He'll be fine, Isoda-san. I know you want to wrap him up in bubble wrap until forever, but he has to grow up sometime."

"I know." She sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose. "It doesn't mean I have to like it. I better go make sure he's getting ready for bed, like I told him." The brunette said as she crossed the room. She paused on the way out the door.

"I would say it's been a pleasure meeting you, but at the moment, I'm not feeling quite so cordial. I'm sure you understand. I trust you can find your own way out." She said as she exited into the hall.

Ryo just watched as the formidable woman left. He let out a sigh of relief. She agreed, now to get the ball rolling. It was gonna be a helluva ride from here on out. He headed out, back to his base. He started whistling when he remembered his little surprise for Isoda-san.

'_Revenge is sweet' _

0o0o0o0

Yuuka walked into Naruto's bedroom to find him bouncing off the walls. Moving from one thing to the other, barely spending a few seconds before heading on to the next.

"What on earth…?" The bewildered woman uttered. She had never seen the boy like this before. What had gotten into him? Wait…

"Naruto?"

"Yes, Baba?" He rapidly responded.

"Did Tora-san give you something?" She warily asked afraid of what the answer would be.

"He gave me a vitamin. Said it would help me grow strong" He rattled off, hardly breathing.

The nurse groaned in despair. Naruto was bad enough, but Naruto on a chakra pill….

Needless to say, she would not be getting any sleep tonight.

Tora better watch his back next time she saw him.

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry for taking so long! Had a program at school to get running, along with really getting into choral rehearsals now.

I had a somewhat idea of what I wanted to do for this chapter, and then realized I wouldn't be able to fit all three things I wanted into here, so voila, two rather important interactions.

Before I get flamed for having Hinata in there. No, she does not have insta-crush on Naruto. She's 3! She's just been through a traumatic event, and doesn't want to leave her parents that easily.

Poor Sasuke XD. It's a compromise between my original ideas for him.

Surprises to myself in this chapter? Hiashi and Itachi. I hadn't expected either of them to make an appearance .

The last little portion is dedicated to Le Diosa, as it was inspired by the thought of a 3 yr old Naruto on caffeine, lol.

If the chapter seems a little loopy, I blame Coke Zero. Caffiene makes me loopy. Actually maybe it is just me? It seems to a trend, cold meds..caffiene…

Thank yous to Mokimo, Tora-Hime-Melody, and Le Diosa for just being awesome people all around. :)

Anyways, thanks for reading! Drop a note with what you liked/didn't like, and any appreciated tips for getting better. (or I'll sic Yuuka on you :P)

Adios!

Soprano~in~Waiting.


	6. Return of the Dog

I don't own Naruto. I've said this at least five times already. _Although,_ I just picked up a pretty cool book of posters. :P

I promise this is the real Chapter 6.

* * *

><p>Inu was waiting in the area outside the Hokage's office. He had been summoned to meet with the aged leader, but didn't have a very clear idea as to what it was about. The teen thought that all the business with the Kumo shinobi had been cleared up a few days ago. He fought the urge to run a hand nervously through his silver locks. He shot a glare to the side of the door. A slight giggle emanated from the side of the door, ceasing as soon as it had started. Apparently, the current guard thought his discomfort was amusing.<p>

'_You try being called in by the Old Man with no warning.'_

The ANBU was torn out of his thoughts by the voice of the secretary.

"Hokage-sama will see you now." The young woman informed him, waiting to usher him to the door.

The door creaked open as the woman held it open for him to go in.

Inu stepped inside quietly, moving to the slightly worn spot before his lord's desk. He moved his limbs to stand at attention, hoping the familiar stance would help him contain his nervous energy.

"At ease, Inu-kun. There's no need to be nervous, boy. Have a seat." Sarutobi commented, not even looking up from his latest piece of paperwork. A small curl of smoke wafted from the pipe in his hand.

A tense, but not completely uncomfortable silence blanketed the room, as Inu waited for the older man to speak. He watched as the pipe moved in the same repetitive pattern, from lips to hand.

'_I wonder how many pieces of paperwork he's ruined with that thing…'_ Inu mused, as a tiny spark floated out of the bowl, before settling on a sheet, and extinguishing itself.

"Haven't started the party without me, have you?" A gruff voice from the side spoke, shaking the teen from his reverie. As if on autopilot, he moved his limbs to once again stand at attention.

"Wouldn't dream of it, old friend. I understand your meeting went well?" Hiruzen inquired, finally setting the dreaded task aside to attend to matters at hand.

"Well enough. For being a civilian, she's a tough old bird." The ANBU commander replied, moving to stretch out on the couch to the side. Oh, the perks of being connected…

"Stand down, boy." Tora ordered, exasperation in his voice. "You're not here for any business as Inu, so take the damn mask off too."

Kakashi could admit it. He had no clue what was going on now. Carefully, he pulled the now warm porcelain away from his face, and clipped onto his belt. Confusion was showing in his one visible eye.

Sarutobi chuckled at the unease the young shinobi was displaying.

"How have you been faring? Tora has given me his own reports, but I would like your own assessment." Sarutobi leaned forward, as if having a chat with a friend.

"I have been doing well, sir. My skills have been improving under the tutelage of the ANBU Corps." Kakashi replied.

"All of which is laudable, but I wasn't asking about skills. How have _you_ been doing? I understand that you lost your sensei. Such a thing is hard, even to those of us who are long past the time of being under one. You and Minato had a strong bond, especially after the unfortunate loss of your father." Sarutobi continued. Kakashi flinched at the mention of his father, and his father figure.

"I have undergone the required psychological screenings, and have passed." The robotic tone was devoid of emotion. Kakashi squirmed under the intense scrutiny of the two men.

"That's not what I asked. I've heard from my sources that you spend an inordinate amount of time in Training Ground Seven. And the Memorial Stone." The elder shinobi informed him. "I can understand the draw of the place. It is peaceful, and a place for reflection. I myself have gone to honor our lost comrades. You take it to the extreme, Kakashi-kun." Sarutobi sighed.

The teenager turned his head, refusing to meet the pitying look he knew had to be in those kind eyes. Yes, it was now over two years since Sensei's death, but it still hurt.

"Honoring the lost is one thing, but I cannot have one of my best and most promising shinobi living in the past. We need to look to the future. I need to know if you can put what has happened to rest enough to give your full attention to the now." The sheer amount of power in the voice commanded he give it his complete concentration.

"Hokage-sama, with all due respect, my activities outside of duty have not affected my performance. I have not failed a single mission that has been assigned me during the course of my service over the last two years." The silver haired teen defended himself.

"Perhaps not." Tora finally spoke up from his reclined position. "Such single-minded drive works well when the goals are clear-cut. What we have in mind for you would not benefit from that same emotionless mask that you display in those situations."

"Sir?"

"I've seen the glimpses you try so hard to hide, son, like the night of the incident. Such concern is a noble trait. We are merely asking if you can give your full attention to someone who isn't dead." The ANBU commander stated. "Such devotion is admirable, but they wouldn't want you to keep grieving."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, trying to read between the lines of what his superior was telling him.

"You had stated before that I wasn't summoned for an ANBU duty. What exactly is it you want me to do, sir?" Suspicions flitted through his mind, each a bit more outlandish than the next.

Tora glanced at Sarutobi, before waving his hand and giving him a grin, passing the baton off to him.

"I would like for you to become a sensei." Hiruzen finally revealed.

"To who?" Kakashi cautiously inquired.

"A young boy who has shown extreme promise. After several incidents, and a meeting with his guardian, it was decided that it would be better for him to receive a modicum of formal training before he hurts himself, and others, with his experiments."

"What exactly would you like me to teach him?"

"Oh, nothing too advanced. He has already admitted to accessing chakra, so minor chakra control would be in order, along with standard physical training, nothing too extreme." Sarutobi explained.

Kakashi raised a single silver eyebrow.

"All of this should be covered in the academy, why do you want me to teach him?" He asked.

"He's nowhere near entering the academy for one. Two, the little brat probably wouldn't get fair treatment there unless Sarutobi or I were standing over the academy senseis' shoulders." Tora added to the conversation, as he leafed through a book left on the side table.

The pieces clicked into place slowly in the boy's mind. His eye widened as he turned to Sarutobi.

"Are you asking me…to teach Naruto?" Kakashi asked softly, almost as if not believing his luck.

"That is precisely what we are asking you to do." The Sandaime smiled.

A wide smile started to spread beneath the dark mask, until it was stalled by a recollection.

"But, when I entered the corps, you said that I wouldn't be able to interact with him, wouldn't be able to have a relationship with him." The Hatake heir pointed out.

"So I did, but circumstances seem determined to change my decisions for me. I had not expected the child, at the time, to show such a determination to be unexpected." Sarutobi grinned wryly. "That is not to say that you should be flaunting your relationship with the boy to the world at large. Any training given will be done in secure facilities. I believe you have met his unofficial guardian. Correct?"

Kakashi nodded.

"In order to have her agreement, it was assured that Naruto wouldn't be pushed into anything. He is not a weapon to be honed. I trust you would be one of the first to agree with this. It's a fine line you must walk with him. While you are training him in a deadly profession, the goal is to give him tools to use as he grows, not make him grow up too soon. Understood?"

"Yes, sir. When would I be allowed to start?" Kakashi asked, eager to get to know the boy in person, instead of through observation.

"You've got a few days of paid leave coming up. Sounds like as good a time as any." His commander suggested. "Just make sure you let Isoda-san know when you want to take him, or she'll be on you like a hound after a rabbit."

Kakashi nodded in agreement, having seen how protective she could be. That is one woman that Kushina would have felt a kinship with, if they had ever met in person.

"If there is nothing else," Sarutobi paused, at which Kakashi shook his head, "You are dismissed."

The teen gave a bow, before heading to the door.

"Oh, Kakashi?" Tora called to him. The boy stopped, hand on the door.

"I suggest you wait a few days. The boy may be….more hyper than usual for another day or two." The commander grinned from his seat on the couch.

Kakashi gave Tora a puzzled look before heading out the door to start his planning.

The door shut and Hiruzen gave his friend a calculating look.

"What did you do, Ryo?"

"Oh, nothing." He replied, innocently examining the bookshelf.

Sarutobi groaned. Nothing that made Ryo grin this much boded well for his future.

0o0o0o0

Naruto was sitting by his window, staring out at the street, as he had been for the last few hours. Ever since Tora had given him that chakra pill, he had been jittery, and just couldn't sit still. Or sleep for that matter of fact. Finally, yesterday he had just crashed.

The blonde had known what the pill was. It was hard not to be familiar with them. He had simply been curious as to what effect it would have on him in his current state. It had been fun to see Yuuka fuming at the man who had given it to him. Naruto had seen the opportunity for a prank. He would have been remiss to not participate. Of course he had paid for it with a sore body the day after it had worn off, but at least he knew what he could expect at this point in time.

Now he was waiting for his sensei to show up. Naruto swung his foot as he sat on the windowsill looking out. The rhythmic tapping lulling him into a semi-meditative trance.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Yuuka asked him, as she walked in on the strangely still boy. It was an unnerving sight after the past few days.

"Nothing." He replied, still staring out the window.

"Nothing? Seems to me you're looking for someone." She wisely deduced, as she set a stack of clean clothes down.

The boy didn't say anything.

"Naruto, we need to talk about this." The nurse said, taking a seat on his bed. "Come here."

Naruto jumped down from the sill, and crawled up onto the bed.

"I know you're excited to have a sensei, Naruto-chan, but you have to understand, being a shinobi is not everything there is." The brown-eyed woman told him, making sure he was looking at her

"Promise me that you'll still do other things? You'll still color me pictures and read with me? I still want you to come keep me company when I go to the other orphanages." She smiled.

"Yes, Baba, I promise." He whined.

"Good, because I still have space on my walls that you have to fill up." Yuuka teased.

"Do you know when Inu is coming?" The blonde asked.

"No, I don't, but you've got things to do around here. You're old enough to help around here, if you're old enough to start taking lessons. Now why don't you put these clothes away?" She sweetly ordered him.

"Awww, Baba…" He complained.

"Don't 'aww Baba' me. You heard me, now scoot." She directed him, as she got up from the twin bed. She took a glance back at the boy as he began to carefully open his bottom drawer. A small smile graced her lips as she heard him muttering as he went about the small chore. Maybe he wasn't going to grow up too fast after all.

0o0o0o0

Naruto was not, by any means, a very neat person. As such, he found no point in putting away the stack of clothes, since he'd be wearing them soon enough anyways. He was so absorbed with muttering about the injustice of it all, that he was surprised when he heard a soft chuckle from the doorway. He looked up to see a young, silver-haired teen in dark clothes, lounging against the doorframe.

"Inu!" Naruto yelled, knowing that particular shade of hair anywhere. He promptly dropped the shirt he was putting away, and with a running jump, gave the teen a hug. A pair of strong arms quickly encircled him, returning it twofold. After a few seconds, Naruto backed his head away from the ANBU's chest to look at his face. It was the first time he had seen it without the porcelain mask since the night he had been born. There were fewer wrinkles than the face he had treasured, but the grey eye was the same. Still holding so many secrets, and still having that touch of grief in its depths.

Kakashi studied the boy's face, in return. He saw the features from each parent, and yet those things which were uniquely Naruto.

"Are we gonna go out now?" The younger boy asked, eager to get going.

Hatake laughed at his excitement. Had he been that way as a child? It was hard to remember.

"Not quite. I don't think Isoda-san knows I'm here yet. Besides, you still have job to finish." The cyclops finished, nodding his head toward the few shirts on the floor yet. Naruto groaned as he was let down.

"Lesson number one: Always do your best, no matter what it is." Kakashi instructed.

"Hai, Inu." Naruto grumbled, but did as told. In a minute or two, the shirts were all put away.

"Can we go now?" He begged, blue eyes close to resembling one of his soon-to-be sensei's ninken. "Please?"

Kakashi gave an internal groan. _'Of all the things to inherit from Sensei…._'

He checked the boy's clothes. The loose pants and t-shirt would do for now, but he'd have to get him some decent training clothes down the road.

"Yeah, yeah, we can go. We just have to check out with Isoda-san first. Mind showing me the way?"

The dog summoner soon found himself being dragged by the hand to a tiny little office. The door was open, showing the resident nurse going over some charts inside.

"Baba! Inu's here, can we go now?" The little boy was almost bouncing, so much enthusiasm was rolling off him.

Yuuka looked up to see the expected teacher holding onto her adopted grandson's hand.

"Naruto, calm down. He's not going anywhere without you." She lightly scolded.

"I believe we've met before. Since you're not wearing your uniform, I assume there is another name I could call you by?" Yuuka asked walking over to inspect the young man who would be in charge of Naruto.

"Hatake Kakashi, at your service." The teen introduced himself, giving a slight bow to the older woman. "Although you can call me Kakashi-sensei." He told Naruto, as he gave the child a hidden smile that reached his one exposed eye.

Yuuka had heard the name. Who hadn't? Prodigy. Student of the Yondaime. Son of the White Fang.

"Naruto-kun, you're forgetting something. If you think you're leaving without it, you better think again." His Baba warned him. A puzzled look crossed the whiskered face. He tilted his head as he pondered the question.

"Your coat? I'm not going to let you out that door until you're wearing it. Now go get it if you want to go with Kakashi-san." She told him. He looked up at the teenager next to him, as if worried he would leave.

"I'll still be here. Don't worry." He assured. Quick as a wink, Naruto was out the door.

"I trust your superior informed you of our chat?" She questioned.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good, wouldn't want to have you going about with the wrong idea." She smiled sweetly, and yet Kakashi felt a chill go down his spine. Not all that's sweet is safe…

The patter of small feet echoed down the hall. In popped Naruto, coat hastily thrown on. Yuuka knelt down and straightened the boy out until she was satisfied he'd be warm.

"You're going to be good, right?" She once again asked him.

"Yes, Baba." Naruto asserted.

"Good. I hear about any funny business, and you're not going back. You hear me? This is a privilege, not something you absolutely need." Brown eyes stared into blue, until the boy nodded his agreement. She gave him a quick hug before straightening back to her full height.

"Have him back for dinner. At the very _latest_." She ordered the young jounin.

Sensing he was being dismissed, he gathered Naruto up in his arms and headed out.

Yuuka watched them, and felt part of her heart break as the bright blonde took a step down a dark path.

0o0o0o0

As soon as the door to the orphanage shut, Kakashi turned to the boy in his arms.

"Hang on tight. We're going to go somewhere we won't be bothered." He said.

A moment later, Naruto felt the telltale prickle of chakra enveloped them as they moved, using shunshin to move quickly from spot to spot. They stopped in front of a very nondescript building. Kakashi turned down an alley to the side of the building. He pressed his palm onto a metal door, channeling some of his own energies into it. Naruto watched as it did nothing.

"I don't think it w-" He was cut off as the door smoothly swung to the inside. "Whoa…"

Kakashi laughed at his student's astonishment, before taking a step inside. The door swung back into place behind them before sealing itself again with a blue flash.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway as the teen headed to only he knew where. A left here, a right there. Naruto was just along for the ride. Finally, Kakashi opened a door into a dark room. A switch of a light revealed what looked like a dojo. Mats covered the floor, providing padding against falls. Posters on the wall showed the human anatomy and chakra points. Practice dummies rested against one wall.

Kakashi set him down and quickly divested him of the winter coat and his shoes. He set them aside close to the door, along with his own. Naruto inspected the place, wide eyes looking around. If it hadn't been hidden deep inside an industrial building, this room wouldn't have been out of place in the academy.

The ANBU headed to the center of the room, and knelt down. "Naruto, come here."

The boy quickly complied.

"What're we gonna do first, Sensei?" He asked.

"We, Naruto-kun, are going to talk. Now, we need to get some ground rules here. First things first. I want you to always do your best. Doing anything halfhearted now could get you hurt later. Understand?"

Naruto nodded.

"Good. Second, you can't tell anyone about your training. Hokage-sama, Tora-sama, and Isoda-san know, but that's it. Third, no showing off. I know it's tempting when someone is being mean. Unless it's a last resort, and someone could really hurt you, don't use anything I teach you here. Still with me?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei."

"Now, I want you to be honest with me. Tora-sama told me you were beginning to train yourself. What have you been doing?"

Naruto squirmed.

"I've borrowed the books of some of the older kids. I really love this one about traps!" A wide grin split his face. "Um, I've been trying to work on using chakra, but the books didn't have anything beyond how to make it do things like stick leaves to myself." He grumbled.

"Ok, what about other things? Besides working on jutsus? I hear you're quite the little escape artist." Kakashi teased.

"It's not my fault they can't catch me. I just don't see why I need to have a bath every night." Naruto pouted, which just made his teacher laugh more.

"Alright, let's just see where you are then. Now, I want you to sit, just like I am. Legs crossed. There you go. Close your eyes. Try to feel everything about yourself inside that you can. Be aware of your toes, your fingertips, the insides of your elbows even." Kakashi heard a small giggle, but the boy tried it.

"Try not to move. It distracts you." He suggested.

Slowly the boy's fidgeting subsided. There were still a few tics here and there, but Kakashi was impressed. He wouldn't have expected a two-year old to get this far.

"Remember when you told Hokage-sama that you could feel the guards? Try and look for that same feeling inside yourself. Let me know when you do." He instructed.

"Got it." Naruto told him a few minutes later. '_I'm going to go nuts if he doesn't go faster.'_

"What does it feel like?" The shinobi asked.

"Warm, a bit prickly. It's moving, like water." The little boy told him.

"Good, now remember that feeling. I want you to move that energy to where you feel me touch, okay?"

Naruto nodded, eyes still closed. Kakashi laid a hand on Naruto's back. Slowly, but surely, he felt the build up of chakra under his hand. "Excellent. Next try." He praised, before moving on.

Kakashi had him attempt this in various places. The level of chakra wasn't always the same, but he had extraordinary internal manipulation for his age.

"We're going to test your physical skills next. How well can you aim?"

Naruto grinned.

0o0o0o0

An hour later found Naruto a bit tired from all the tests and experiments Kakashi had put him through. He was a bit disappointed that Kakashi hadn't given him real weapons to test out his aim, but he supposed that was all part and parcel of Yuuka agreeing to this for now.

Naruto was actually surprised at how Kakashi was behaving. When he had first been placed on a team, the man hadn't done much beyond trying to make them act like a team. Sure he had taught them a few things here are there, but not a constant stream of information like he had been.

'_I suppose he thinks he has to start from the very beginning.' _Naruto reasoned. A lot of these exercises would have been helpful, even as a genin, the blonde had to admit. Probably would have helped him avoid a world of hurt at some points in time. '_I guess he just assumed the academy teachers had taught us everything about the basics_.'

"For having learned all this by yourself, you're doing pretty well." Kakashi complimented him.

Naruto smiled. '_You have no idea…'_

"But," Kakashi added. "I expect you to talk to me before you start experimenting with chakra again. It's a dangerous substance to try to manipulate. You have lots of chakra, and one misstep could have been deadly." He warned, trying to impress the seriousness on the boy.

Naruto's smile dimmed, and he stared at the floor.

"I don't want to yell at you, but you have to realize how much trouble it could have caused."

The boy stayed looking down, picking at the mat.

"Now, I think it's about time I get you back home. Now what were the first three rules again?" Kakashi quizzed the boy.

"Do my best. Keep my training a secret, and don't show off." Naruto recited.

"Perfect. Now grab your coat and shoes." He ordered.

Minutes later found them outside the orphanage again. Kakashi carried him through the orphanage to Yuuka's office. Naruto laughed as he caught some of the looks of the older girls as they passed by. '_Looks like Sensei has a fan club.'_

"Baba, we're back!" Naruto cried out as soon as he saw her. She looked up and just barely braced herself as he launched himself at her.

"I can't promise that I can set a schedule for him, but I will try to see him as often as I can. He's a good kid, a hard worker. If he keeps that up, I'll be proud to have him as my student." Kakashi praised him, as Naruto began to blush madly. Few people had ever told him things like that, at least to his face.

"I would like to get him some equipment eventually, but that can wait. We're still on the basics." He continued. "I still have a few days off, so I will see you tomorrow, got it kiddo?" He asked, ruffling the blonde locks.

"Have a good night, Isoda-san," Kakashi politely stated, before trying to head out. He felt something attack his leg. The ANBU tensed before he realized it was Naruto, hugging him. He reached down and gave the boy a hug, before telling him good night.

Yuuka watched. It was almost like a pair of brothers, but then she supposed, that's what they could have been had events turned out differently. It was strange though, how quickly Naruto took to him, then again perhaps not. Even she could sense that the Hatake boy hadn't held any ill will towards the boy, quite the opposite. Another person had been added to Naruto's hodge-podge family it seemed.

0o0o0o0

Months passed. Kakashi's lessons continued and soon it was summer again. The warm winds brought some small relief to the sweltering heat that had begun to beat down on the village. Naruto and Hinata were lying underneath the shade of a leafy tree, resting from their afternoon chases. He had to admit, she was getting better at keeping up, even if he wasn't going all out.

Naruto was going to ask if she wanted to go find her mom, when he felt the tingle of familiar chakra on the edge of his senses. He was instantly alert. A brief scan of his surroundings soon revealed who had put him on edge. There, just at the entrance to the park were the Uchiha brothers. Itachi had grown slightly over the course of the last few months, but Sasuke had changed more. He had that childish lankiness that young ones possess when they're not quite out of toddlerhood, and yet too old to be called an infant.

His heart clenched as he realized this was the first time he had seen the duo since that day in January. Sasuke wandered off to join the few children who were braving the sun. Itachi retreated to one of the trees edging the playground, his dark eyes never leaving his brother. Naruto watched the two, before making up his mind.

"I'll be right back, Hinata-chan."

"'kay." She muttered drowsily, still watching the leaves as they danced in the treetop.

Naruto stealthily walked over to where the elder Uchiha was resting. A few more steps…

"I know you're there." Itachi spoke, never moving from his spot.

Naruto moved into the open, and took a seat next to the raven haired genin. The chatter of the playground took the place of conversation. Minutes passed.

"Is there something you wanted?" Itachi finally asked.

"I have a question for you." Naruto replied, picking at the grass by his hand. There was no answer, so Naruto took that as a cue to continue.

"Are you avoiding me?" The bluntness of the request took him aback. Dark eyes shifted to finally view the blonde at his side. Black met blue as Itachi debated what to tell the child. He had to give the boy credit for his deduction.

"I wasn't avoiding you, per se. My little brother can have quite a temper, and I didn't feel it wise to provoke it, especially when there is more than childish pride on the line." Itachi finally confessed, hoping the boy could understand. He seemed intelligent. Let him prove it.

Naruto puzzled out what he was talking about.

"So you think Sasuke will learn more by avoiding his temper than facing it?" The blonde challenged him.

Itachi was astounded at the insight the boy was showing.

"Look. I don't care if you hate me. Plenty of people do. Give me a chance to at least prove that I'm not some bad person." Naruto told him before heading back to Hinata, leaving the black haired genin to think.

"Hinata, Naruto, time to go!" The Hyuuga matron was waiting for them near the gate with the required guard. Naruto gave one last look to the Uchihas before heading with his friend to the street.

0o0o0o0

Hinata's mother eyed the blonde as they walked back to the compound. The little blonde seemed distracted by something. She had seen him talking to the Uchiha heir, but hadn't caught what the pair had discussed. As they walked into the walls of the Hyuuga estate, she let Hinata go find her father, leaving the two alone together.

"Are you alright, Naruto-kun?" Hinata's mother asked. The little boy nodded, still somewhat distracted.

"I don't think that's entirely true. Is it something to do with Uchiha-san?" Her suspicions were confirmed when the blue eyes darted to meet her own, then avoided her.

"I thought so. What happened? Did he say something to you?" The soft voice gently prodded.

"Not really. He doesn't talk much to begin with." Naruto said with a shrug. She waited.

"I asked him if he was avoiding me." He finally admitted.

"And what did he say?" She was genuinely curious.

"That it wasn't me; he was worried about his brother getting mad again. I don't know if I believe him or not." Naruto sighed.

"I see. Naruto, don't worry about anyone's opinion of yourself but your own. No one can make you feel bad about yourself without your consent. Now, just forget about him for now. I don't know about you, but I believe there is something frozen and sweet calling our name." She said with a smile, trying to bribe him out of his funk. It must have worked, because a small smile started to spread across his face.

"Orange?" His blue eyes begged.

"We'll have to see." She chuckled, before leading him inside for the cold treat.

0o0o0o0

A few days later, Naruto was once again at the playground with his friend, after a morning of training with Kakashi. Sore muscles were protesting him running around, but he wasn't about to let that get him down. He soon saw the two Uchihas returning to the playground. Naruto caught Itachi's gaze. An understanding passed between them, before Itachi knelt down by his brother. He spoke to softly to be heard from where Naruto was standing, but he could see the younger nod before running off to play. The genin glanced at the blonde before retreating to his post.

'_I guess that's his sign of approval.'_ Naruto reasoned. Not one to pass up the opportunity, he ran over to the young raven.

"Hi, want to play?" Naruto asked. The young Uchiha looked at him for a moment.

"Sure. What're you playing?" He asked.

Naruto laughed. Apparently he had already forgotten about the little incident.

"Come on." He grabbed his friend's hand, and took off to find Hinata. Things were looking up.

0o0o0o0

Kakashi watched his student as he practiced his aim in the indoor training area. The blonde was throwing special kunai against the target. While not sharp enough to stick in it, they were lined with hardened graphite which would mark where it had impacted. Black marks were scattered across the bulls-eye. A few marks decorated the wall. Small black streaks on the wall denoted where the boy had missed. The larger number were on the target though, a few even on the dead center. The ANBU had to admit he was impressed.

A grunt escaped his student's mouth as he hurled another projectile.

"Watch your wrist. It's twisting too far." He instructed. Carefully, he took Naruto's hand in his, and placed another practice kunai in it. Standing behind him, he ran through the correct movement a few times, before letting Naruto try it on his own.

"Better. Do it again."

"Yes, sensei." The blonde replied, before turning his concentration onto the target again.

They had been working on this for a while now. Naruto was actually being challenged by it as his skills had always been eclectic to begin with. To have someone actively correcting him was helping immensely. He could already see the improvement from what he remembered in his past existence. The weapons were flying truer with less force, meaning less energy was lost on unnecessary movement.

The teenager watched the boy, as he thought over the idea that had occurred to him.

Naruto, while not necessarily being in a lockdown mode, didn't really get the chance to freely interact with many people outside of the orphanage. Kakashi wanted to work on chakra with the boy, and while doing it indoors wasn't unheard of, it was always safer to do it outside, where collateral damage could be kept to a minimum. With the boy's reserves, the potential for accidents was even higher. Yet, there was no where in the village where he could take the boy without raising suspicion. An idea dawned on the teen. Perhaps the inside the village wasn't the answer then.

Occasional thuds still echoed around the room as Kakashi seriously considered the idea.

Naruto would be able to get away from the villagers. It would do him good to be treated like any other child.

'_Come to think of it…there's probably a festival coming up soon in some town or other…'_

Plans for training soon merged with other ideas Kakashi had in store for his little brother. After all, all work and no play was just plain boring. A curve of lips could barely be seen underneath the mask as the teen imagined what fun Naruto could have on such a trip. All he needed was to get the clearance from the Hokage. And Yuuka. Kakashi contemplated that particular encounter, imagining her reaction to his little excursion.

While the nurse had given her approval to his relationship with her adopted grandson, he couldn't help but think that any attempt to take him outside of her reach, even if it would only be for a few days would be met with anything besides initial resistance.

'_I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it.' _Kakashi thought.

"That's enough for today." He called, as one final kunai sailed through the air. Naruto quickly moved to pick up his tools, having been quickly taught how to take care of any equipment. The energetic blonde finished gathering them and went to hear what his sensei had to say as he began examining the target.

"You're doing better. Most of the kunai you throw are hitting the target. Not too many on the wall this time." Kakashi smiled. Naruto returned the grin, having learned how to read the mask.

"Now look at this." The silver-haired teen pointed out one particular mark. "See how the shape changes from one end to another?"

Naruto looked closely. "What about it, Sensei?"

"If you see a mark like that, it means that the kunai didn't hit dead on. Sometimes that is what we need to do, like if we only want to hurt someone a little bit. Back up." Kakashi instructed him.

The teen retreated to the where Naruto had been standing, taking the whiskered boy with him, making sure he was out of the range of fire. The ANBU let a few of the practice kunai fly. He headed to the target, motioning for his student to follow.

"What do these marks look like?" He asked, pointing out where his kunai had hit.

The smaller boy studied them for a second. "Some look kinda like dots. The others are short lines."

"That means that the mark was true. It hit point on. Thrown like this, the kunai could cause serious damage. It can also work deep into wood or siding, providing a handhold if using chakra is not an option for climbing. We'll work on this more next time. Why don't you go put them away, and grab the cloths?" The young jounin told him, handing him the one he had left in his hand.

Said child quickly headed off to the corner of the room, where a cabinet held the necessary tools, and stored the practice articles when not in use.

"You get high, I get low?" Kakashi proposed.

"Sensei…" Naruto complained. Kakashi laughed at the pout. The kid could be sensitive about his height sometimes.

"Alright, alright. Make sure to get the ones you can reach." The teen accepted the other cleaning cloth from him. Within minutes the target was set for the next time they met. No black marks were left behind.

As they walked over to the cabinet, Kakashi decided to ask Naruto about his idea.

"How would you like to go on a little trip with me?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "Really? Where to?"

"Just to a neighboring village or two. We would have to get your Jiji's okay on it, along with Yuuka-san's, first. But how about it? You and me for a few days." The teen offered, watching his charge as the idea sunk in. He could almost see the excitement start to pour off the spiky-haired boy.

"Awesome! Can we go now? Would you teach me something on the way? When can we leave?" The questions just kept coming. Kakashi laughed at the boy. He was highly reminded of the time his own sensei had offered to take Kushina to a ramen festival. '_Now there's an idea. I wonder if the kid's had any yet.'_

"Hang on. I haven't even asked them about it yet. If you want, we can go right now. I think he'll still be in his office." Kakashi closed the door to the storage, and headed towards the door. He no sooner had one of his shoes on when he looked up to see Naruto waiting impatiently for him, shoes on the wrong feet.

"Can we go now? Slowpoke-sensei?"

"I may be a slow, but at least I can put my shoes on the right feet." The teen teased.

Naruto looked down, and blushed when he saw his mistake. A minute later, when all shoes were on their proper feet, the two headed out to the Hokage tower, ready to try to convince Sarutobi.

'_Nothing else, Naruto can use his puppy-dog eyes. Haven't met a soul alive who could resist those.'_ Kakashi grinned, shifting the boy to his back as he shunshined away.

* * *

><p>AN: So after many days of "I should probably write some more" and getting side tracked by other things, a new chapter. Not a whole lot of action in here I'll admit. I look at it more as showing how Kakashi and Naruto interact now. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but it's leading up to other things for now.

Any ideas for improvement will be considered.

Thanks for reading. I hope I at least gave you a smile or two.

Reminder if you're interested: I have a forum of plot bunnies up for adoption. The link is on my profile. Maybe you'll find something that piques your writing curiosity.

Hope you have a good day!

Adios,

Soprano~in~Waiting


	7. Blonde vs Brunet

I still don't own Naruto. Maybe I'll get it for Easter?

* * *

><p>A squirrel started, shocked away from its search through the autumn leaves by a mostly black blur. Small streaks of gold and silver broke up the monotony. The figure stilled, revealing a one-eyed teen holding a small child.<p>

Hatake Kakashi set down in the clearing, letting Naruto walk around on his own feet for a change. One silver eye checked the sun's position. Satisfied that they were still making good time, he lowered his pack to the ground. Crouching next to it, he began digging through it. Naruto looked on in curiosity, and then puzzlement as Kakashi pulled his hand out, revealing a bottle.

"Come here, Naruto." The shinobi beckoned. The toddler warily complied, eyeing the bottle.

"Don't worry. It's just some temporary hair dye." Kakashi informed him, amusement clear.

"Why do we need that?" The little boy asked, still watching the cylinder of brown liquid in his teacher's hand.

"Not we. You."

"Why am I the one that has to have gunk in my hair? That's not fair!" The blonde protested, covering his hair in a feeble attempt to protect his sunshine locks. He jumped away from his caretaker.

"Naruto…" The teen growled, snatching a wrist, and trying to drag the wiggling boy closer.

"Why are you making this so difficult?" Kakashi sighed in exasperation, after a few minutes of struggle. He let the boy's arm go, giving up for the moment.

"I don't want you to do anything to my hair." Naruto pouted, staying just outside of the older male's reach once released.

"It'll wash out after a few days. It's not going to stay brown." Kakashi reassured him.

"I still don't want to do anything to change it. It…" The child's voice dropped to a mumble.

"Huh? What did you say?" The silver-haired jounin leaned in closer.

"You'll think it's stupid." Naruto whined, not meeting his sensei's eye.

"I promise not to laugh." A right hand was raised in accordance.

"It reminds me of this man I see. In my dreams. He looks kinda like me, and smiles at me." Naruto admitted. _'It's not like I'm lying. I do see Dad in my dreams sometimes.'_

Kakashi paused at the unexpected response, his single eye widening a fraction in surprise. Shaking himself from his stupor, he cleared his throat.

"That leaves me in a pickle, Naruto. You may not want to dye your hair, but you need something to disguise yourself." The jounin stood up from his crouch.

"Why?"

The silver haired nin could have groaned at the eternal child's question.

"Because, it was one of the conditions that Sandaime-sama set to go on this trip." He answered.

"Why?" A silvery eyebrow ticked.

Naruto was internally grinning, keeping the façade of the curious child externally intact. He loved pushing his sensei's buttons.

"Naruto…when you get older, you'll learn that there are some people you don't question their orders. Your 'Jiji' is one of them. You're either leaving this clearing a brunette, or going back to Konoha as a blonde." Kakashi stated, his irritation beginning to show through.

"Why do you have to use that yucky stuff? Can't you just use that henge thing that I read about?"

"First, the henge is only an illusion, meaning it's easily disrupted. Second, a henge can only be cast around the user's own person. Since you're still training on how to access your chakra, you can't make your own henge." The scarecrow explained. He inched closer to the blonde.

"There's not something else you can do?" Naruto begged, on the verge of whipping out the tears.

The older boy, purposely avoiding meeting those baby blues, crept closer, kept his eye on the boy's torso. He caught a glimpse of Naruto's bellybutton. The nin stilled.

"Wait here." Kakashi ordered. He blurred over to his pack. A small pile of things began to grow as he searched through the bag. Spare clothes, extra kunai pouches, a first aid kit, a teddy bear…

'_Wait. What?_' Naruto looked at the bedraggled bear sitting innocently against the edge of the pile. '_Why on earth would he have this with him?'_ Naruto wondered as he nudged the stuffed animal with his toe.

"Here we go!" The teen finally exclaimed. In his hand was a scroll. Naruto arched a golden brow in question.

"You're going to wrap me up like a present?" The boy hazarded a guess.

"Ouch!" Naruto rubbed his head while he glared up at his sensei, who was holding the offending document in his hand.

"What was that for?"

"For being a smart-aleck. Now, take of your shirt, and lie down on the grass." Kakashi ordered, as he unfurled the scroll. "Now!" He repeated, seeing the child dawdling.

Naruto complied, taking off his dark blue shirt, and laying it down so he at least could lay down in comfort. A poof of smoke alerted Naruto to the appearance of items from the scroll. He turned his head to see his sensei holding an assortment of brushes and ink.

"What are those for?" The child asked, eyeing the thick black ink.

"Since you won't let me anywhere near you with hair dye, this is the next best thing. A seal." The dog summoner explained.

"You know sealing?" This new bit of information surprised the tiny blonde. Kakashi chuckled.

"I was bound to pick a thing or two, my sensei being who he was. Lay down on your stomach."

"It's not going to hurt, is it?" Naruto asked as he complied, his voice small, and muffled from underneath his arms. His experience with seals had mostly been painful. Having never experienced this particular seal, he didn't know what to expect.

"It might sting a little bit. Just think of it as a sunburn." His sensei comforted him.

"That's cold!" Naruto yelped, as he felt a damp cloth run across his back.

"It's just an alcohol wipe. I'm cleaning off where I'm going to put the seal. When it comes to fuuinjutsu, it's better to be safe than sorry. Any foreign matter could have affected the seal. Maybe changing your hair color forever. I wonder how pink would suit you…" The shinobi mused.

"Sensei…that's not funny…" Naruto pouted, as he watched the grass in front of him.

Kakashi laughed at his student's reaction, unscrewing the cap to the ink well.

"Hold still, or we're going to find out real soon. I'm going to be starting to draw it, so don't move." He instructed, bringing the ink-laden brush down to the blonde's back.

Naruto shifted minimally, but not enough to throw the brush. He fought the urge to giggle like mad as the brush seemed to find all his ticklish spots. Kakashi tucked away each little flinch for later.

Within minutes, the seal was complete. Kakashi cleaned out his brushes with some water from his canteen and sealed away his supplies. Satisfied that the ink was dry, he helped the boy into a sitting position.

"Ok, now to activate it. Remember how we've been working on moving your chakra around your body?"

Naruto nodded.

"Good. I want you to concentrate your chakra around your back, right where I'm touching."

The boy complied, as Kakashi could feel the energy swirling beneath the surface of the skin.

"Excellent. This might be a little harder. I want you to push your chakra out from there, like your just letting it rise to the surface." He instructed.

Naruto carefully let his chakra rise. Keeping it level like that was still difficult for him. Finally, Naruto felt a sting as the chakra activated the seal. He winced.

"Did it work?" The toddler asked.

"See for yourself."

Naruto tugged a lock of his hair into his field of vision, and saw a rich chestnut brown come into view.

"Yatta!" He exclaimed, dancing around for a bit, before the slight sting in his back made him slow down.

"Now that that's taken care of, we should head on our way. Grab your shirt." The Cyclops began repacking his things. Naruto pulled his shirt back on, careful of dragging the material across the sensitive area.

"Ready?"

"Ready, Sensei." Naruto replied.

"You probably shouldn't call me that outside the training room, Naruto." Kakashi advised.

"Ok, Kakashi-nii," Naruto beamed. The one-eyed jounin paused, feeling his heart expand at the sound. An answering smile spread across the hidden lips.

Picking the smiling boy up in his arms, mindful of the seal, he hitched him over his shoulders, and headed out of the clearing.

0o0o0o0

Two figures were illuminated by the flickering firelight. A whiskered face was imitating the fish staked to roast next to the flames. The masked youth with him was laughing at his antics.

A quick poke found the fish to be done. Kakashi carefully took them away from the fire to cool. Reaching into his mess kit, he fished out a plate to serve their dinner on.

"Nngaaah!"

Kakashi whirled around, kunai at the ready, to see Naruto waving one hand frantically at his tongue, hanging from his mouth, and the other holding a fish on a stick. White flesh was showing from a crescent shaped bite mark.

"Ah wah huhry?" The boy tried to say, realizing he had an audience.

Kakashi shook his head, a slight smirk on his lips as he replaced the kunai.

"Here, this should help. Slowly." He instructed, passing the boy the canteen of water. Naruto greedily grabbed it, and began to down the cool liquid, hoping to give his poor tongue some relief. Trickles made their way down his face, creating dark spots on his shirt, before he finally handed it back to his mentor.

"Better?"

Naruto nodded.

"Next time, wait. Patience is a virtue after all." The jounin sagely said.

"Yeah, yeah…" The little brunette pouted.

"Think you can try eating some, now that it's cooled?" Kakashi asked, offering a plate of the fish to him.

Naruto took the plate, and carefully began picking at the now pleasantly warm fish. His teacher watched in amusement, as he tried to eat the fish while avoiding irritating the tender flesh of his tongue.

Naruto eyed the offending fish on his plate, as he contemplated some form of retribution for his sensei laughing at him. He snuck a glance at the teen.

"Hey, no fair!" The child cried out at seeing a bare fish skeleton. Kakashi smiled at him, the mask firmly in place.

"What's not fair?" The masked shinobi asked, head quirked in puzzlement.  
>"You…the fish…mask…UGH! How can you eat without taking your mask off?" The child exclaimed in frustration. Naruto had been trying for the last few weeks to catch his brother figure without the mask, unsuccessfully, of course.<p>

"Years of practice."

Naruto pouted, but returned to his dinner.

The fire cracked, burning down as the night wore on. Sparks flew up as Kakashi added another log to the blaze.

"Kakashi-nii?" A young voice broke the stillness.

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Why do you wear it?"

"Huh?" The older youth glanced up, surprised at the sudden question.

"The mask. Why do you wear it?" Naruto repeated. For as long as he had known the legendary nin, he had never understood his reasoning for hiding his features.

Kakashi jerked in surprise, pausing for a moment, then continued to tidy up camp for the night, pondering how to answer the boy, if at all.

A few minutes passed as Kakashi began unrolling the sleeping bags, and washed the dishes.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want." Naruto whispered, sensing the discomfort that he had put his teacher in. He changed into his pajamas, and crawled into the smaller sleeping bag.

Kakashi sighed. One hand clutched his shirt in front of his chest, while he glanced at his sensei's son with his own grey eye. "I'll tell you sometime, just…not now. It's getting late; you should be heading to sleep. I'll be right there once I check the perimeter."

Naruto snuggled into the warm covering. He had seen the hidden pain still buried in those eyes. Guilt twisted his insides at having dredged that feeling up from where it had been buried.

Not long after that, Naruto noticed the glow of the fire dampen from behind his closed lids. The warm glow barely illuminated the dark clearing. He heard slight movement as Kakashi laid himself down to sleep.

Kakashi watched the stars, unable to fall asleep. He played with the chain beneath his shirt as he thought back on the years he had hidden behind the mask. It had been so long since he'd first donned the black cloth. It had been nearly ten years since anyone currently living in Konoha had seen his face. It was just habit now to pull it on in the morning.

He was torn from his introspection by a nudge at his side. He glanced down to see a mop of dark hair snuggled into his side. He smiled fondly at the boy before curling around him, pulling him closer. Perhaps there were better things to think about now.

0o0o0o0

Sunlight broke through the surrounding trees, waking Naruto up from a decently restful sleep. His back still twinged every now and then where the seal was, but it was much better than the previous day.

'_Thank Kami for mom and Kyuubi.'_ Naruto thought as he changed out of his pajamas. '_Speaking of which, I should probably pay the fu…guy a visit sometime soon.'_

While his visits with Kyuubi had been constant while still an infant, they had waned in frequency in the last year. The increased human contact brought about by his training with Kakashi lessened the need to depend on the ancient being as an anchor for his sanity. Having others see him as more intelligent than the average toddler helped too.

Naruto grinned. His plan had worked out better than he could have ever thought. At least, for the moment. Save one Hyuuga Hizashi from the executioner's blade: check. Pull Hinata from her shell: check. Engage in a formerly dubious friendship with one waterfowl hairstyled Uchiha: check. He even got Itachi to give him a shot. So much changed, and he's only just reaching his third birthday!

"Hey, kid, come here." A voice called, pulling him from his reverie.

Naruto perked up, and saw his sensei holding some small rods. Curious, he quirked an eyebrow at his teacher. He had never seen those before, even in his past life.

"I told you that we were going to do some training on this trip, so I better keep my promise." Kakashi explained. A wide grin split the younger's face.

"These," Naruto's sensei held up the rods, "are to help channel chakra."

"Huh? But I thought you gotta start with leaves? That's what I see the academy kids doing."

"Probably, but that's just the route that works for most students, since they don't have a lot of chakra to begin with. You, on the other hand, are special." Kakashi gently poked his charge in the stomach to emphasize his point.

Naruto eyed Kakashi warily. '_I'm pretty sure Jiji doesn't want anyone to tell me about my tenant yet…'_

"You probably have about the same amount of chakra as someone four times your age, if not more. While that will be lots of help later on, it's a problem for you right now. Have you ever played with the garden hose?" Kakashi asked.

"Um…I've seen some other kids do it." The boy answered.

"Hm…what about that stream in the woods? Remember how, in spring, the water nearly reached the bridge? It was causing the bridge to shake because of how fast it was going." The teen tried explaining it in a different way.

Naruto nodded, clearly remembering thinking that the bridge was going to be swept away any second.

"When we passed across it yesterday, was it still like that?" Kakashi questioned, leading the boy to an answer. The chestnut hair whipped back and forth as Naruto vigorously shook his head in the negative.

"What did it look like?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto thought about it for a minute. "It was slow. There wasn't very much water in it. It was barely moving any of the old leaves around."

"Exactly." The jounin praised the child's answer. Naruto ducked his head slightly, still not used to the recognition for such simple things, like answering a question correctly.

"Your housemates, like most academy students, are kinda like the stream yesterday. Think of chakra like water. They don't have much of it, so it just trickles around. To move any large amounts of it, they would have to use a lot of effort. You are like the creek in spring. You have so much chakra that getting it to move won't be the problem. Getting it to move where and when you want it to will be, though. That's where these rods come into play." Kakashi handed Naruto one of the smooth dark rods.

"What am I supposed to do with it?" Naruto asked, turning the rod around in his hands.

"First thing's first. Take a seat. Start moving your chakra where I say." He instructed.

After a few minutes of internally circulating his energies, Kakashi told him to gather it near his hands.

Satisfied, the jounin gave him one of the rods to hold.

"Wrap your hands around it. Closer. As close as you can get it. There. Now, try moving your chakra between your hands. Right to left." Kakashi watched as Naruto, eyes closed in concentration, attempted to comply with his teacher's instructions. On the fifth try, he was successful. Naruto looked up with a grin, awaiting the next step.

"Nice job, kiddo. Move your hands a little bit apart, now try and get it to go through the rod in the same way." Kakashi watched, his eye steadily widening in surprise as the dark metal began to gain a bluish hue. He would have bet anything that if he were to uncover his sharingan, there would be a miniature sun of chakra between Naruto's hands.

'_I wish I would have known about this one earlier. It's a lot less painful than falling from trees…'_ Naruto mused, still working on the exercise.

Before long, the sun had risen to its highpoint in the autumn sky. Kakashi glanced at the now slightly tired child. He snorted. Any other child his age, and they would be flat on the ground, gasping for breath. Not this little chakra monster.

"That's enough for today. We still have to cover some ground before we stop for the night." He informed the boy.

A quick lunch of cold fish, and the two were setting out. This time, Naruto was walking hand in hand with his mentor. Occasionally, the little temporary brunette darted ahead, but always within sight of his temporary caretaker.

By the time Kakashi set up camp for the night, Naruto was almost ready to fall asleep in his arms, having walked almost the entire day on his own. After a quick supper, Kakashi tucked Naruto into his sleeping bag. He watched as the boy slumbered on, not a care in the world. Like it should be.

0o0o0o0

The next two days brought much of the same routine, as they headed to their destination. Training in the morning, slow travels in the afternoon. Kakashi got to know the boy much better as they walked. Naruto was energetic, mischievous, but very bright and insightful beyond his years. The perfect balance between his parents. The thought brought a bittersweet smile to Kakashi.

"If only they could see you now," He mumbled under his breath, as he watched the brunette in amusement. The little boy was quite the sight in the mornings. Hair sticking up from all sorts of angles.

"Huh?" Naruto groggily stirred. Still half-asleep, he attempted to sit-up, then gave up altogether, and tried to crawl back under his sleeping bag.

"I guess you don't want any special _birthday_ pancakes, then." Kakashi sing-songed.

Naruto lay there for a second, then the words registered. His eyes snapped open. The brunette struggled to get out of the sleeping bag. Kakashi chuckled at the boy's situation before figuring that he better help out before Naruto hurt himself. He didn't want to meet Kushina on the other side if her son died because of camping equipment. Kakashi shuddered at the thought.

"Hold still, Naruto." The cyclops ordered. Within minutes the bouncing boy was seated next to the fire, watching the pan with his breakfast on fry away.

After breakfast, Kakashi questioned the wisdom of giving the kid sugar, since he was now wired from all the syrup he had poured on the pancakes. '_Oh well…'_

"Come on, let's get packed up." The ANBU started putting out the campfire and other assorted tasks.

"What about training?" Naruto questioned.

"Change of plans for today," was all Kakashi said, leaving the young container to wonder what his sensei had planned. Said sensei quickly looked away, not sure whether to laugh or sigh at the suspicious look in his student's cerulean eyes.

"Why aren't you wearing your hitai-ate?" Naruto carefully asked, taking in the plain clothes, and simple strip of cloth that Kakashi had wrapped around his head. A worn, but well cared for scarf covered the lower portion of his face.

The Yondaime's student did sigh at that. How did a child get so cautious at the age of three?

"I promise you'll like it. Get changed while I finish cleaning up, then we can head out."

By midafternoon, the pancakes had worn off. A loud rumble sounded from the boy's stomach.

"Can we stop yet? I'm _starving_!" Naruto whined.

"Almost there. Want to ride instead? We'll get there quicker." Kakashi offered. With a nod, he shifted the now three year old into his arms, and headed into the trees.

0o0o0o0

Kakashi gracefully leapt to the ground when they reached the top of the hill. In the distance was a quaint little village. Even from this far, Naruto could see the colorful flags, and hear the noise of the gathered crowds. He nervously shifted in his teacher's arms.

"What's going on there?" He softly asked.

"They're having a festival, Naruto."

"Like the Memorial Festival?" Naruto mumbled, still not sure if he liked this idea.

Yuuka had tried to take him out last year to see the fireworks. 'Tried' being the key word. After the first few flying projectiles of rotten fruit, she had spirited him back to the orphanage, where they spent the night in his room, watching the fireworks from behind the glass.

"Not exactly. The Memorial Festival is held to honor the sacrifice of the Yondaime and the other shinobi who gave their lives on the night of the Kyuubi attack. As far as I know, Konoha is the only village to do so. This is just a plain old harvest festival. All these little patches around the outskirts are fields, and the occasional orchard. They're celebrating because they've had a good crop of fruits, vegetables, or whatever they grow. It's their time to have fun before winter, and we're going to join them." Kakashi smiled. "They're having a birthday party for you without even knowing." He teased.

Naruto just stayed where he was, watching the village.

"Hey, get that look off your face. That's no way to look on your birthday." Kakashi urged him.

"They're not going to throw stuff at me?" Naruto finally asked, quietly.

"So that's what's got you in a twist." Kakashi set Naruto down on the ground, and got on one knee to look him in the eye.

"Naruto, nothing is going to happen to you here. I'm going to make sure that you have the best birthday ever. After all, that's my job as a big brother." Naruto was pulled into a hug by Kakashi. "Now, let's go get some lunch. There's something I think you'll love that I don't think you've had before."

As they walked into town, the myriad of sights and sounds had Naruto twisting his head this way and that to take them all in. Seeing no one doing anything but taking the cursory glance at the newcomers, he allowed himself to relax. Suddenly, Naruto's nose twitched. He took a deep breath in.

Kakashi was just about to talk to the owner of a fruit stand, when he found himself being dragged along by the hand. Naruto was on the tantalizing familiar scent like a bloodhound on a scent trail. Poor Kakashi was just able to keep himself on his feet. A few passers-by chuckled at the duo. Thankfully, Naruto finally paused. Kakashi looked up to see what had grabbed his attention.

'_Must be in the genes._' He mused.

"I guess I didn't need to ask. You found it for us. Let's go get some ramen." He smiled.

Naruto didn't need to be told twice. Quick as a wink, he flew across the street, and launched himself on the stool, Kakashi following at a more sedate pace.

"Well, what do we have here?" The kindly looking ramen chef turned to see his new customers. "What's your name, young one?" The man asked, wiping his hands off on the towel tucked in his apron. Naruto cast a questioning look over at Kakashi.

"This is my little brother, Takashi. He's turning three today, so I thought I'd treat him to some ramen for lunch." Kakashi said, easily intermingling truth and tale.

"Happy Birthday, Takashi-chan!" The man boomed, sincerity shining from his smile. Naruto couldn't help but relax in the man's presence. "Now, what can I get you?"

"Two chicken ramen, please." Kakashi ordered. The large man quickly set the noodles to boil. With the threads of goodness cooking, he turned to his customers.

"I haven't seen you around here before. Are you here for the festival or just passing through?" The chef asked them.

"A little of both actually. Takashi's never been to one before, so I thought I'd bring him to the one tonight. It's good timing. We're on our way to relations that live in a village a couple days travel from here."

"Your ma and pa picking up supplies then?" The salt and peppered cook questioned.

Naruto squirmed. Kakashi took over once again.

"I'm afraid not," He answered, letting a bit of depression slip into his tone. "It's just us two, but we do alright, right Takashi?" The nin mussed his traveling companion's hair.

"Nii-san!" Naruto whined, trying to knock away the bothersome hand.

"Er…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." The now slightly red chef apologized.

"No harm done. Just me and him for almost three years. He doesn't even remember them," Kakashi finished, melancholy seeping through into his voice.

"At least he's got you." The cook responded. He turned to check the noodles. A slightly uncomfortable silence descended. A bored Naruto began toying with the bottle of some sort of seasoning to the side of the stand. The large man moved about the small kitchen, and soon, returned with two steaming bowls of ramen.

"Dig in, boys!" He encouraged.

Naruto just gazed at it in reverence, blue eyes nearly tearing up from the sheer awesomeness of the dish before him. He grabbed a set of chopsticks, and tore into the bowl. The noodle maker laughed at the display. Having tiny hands did not bode well for him. At all. Within moments, Naruto set down the now empty bowl. The tiny brunette was startled from his temporary haze of contentment by a flash from his side. He looked to see the source, and found his sensei holding a camera, and then safely secreting it away.

"Why'd you do that?" Naruto pouted.

Kakashi didn't answer. Instead, he reached over and pulled a noodle from Naruto's hair. Then a piece of chicken. And another noodle, until a small pile of ramen ingredients formed in front of the boy.

"I think you need more practice using chopsticks." Kakashi teased him, barely concealing his mirth.

The chef, on the other hand had no problem, and was heartily laughing.

"Anyone who enjoys ramen that much deserves another bowl. My treat, consider it a birthday present." He said, placing another carefully in front of the child.

"Try to keep it either in the bowl or in your mouth this time." The silver haired teen laughed.

Naruto cutely scowled at the youth before digging into his second bowl, this time at a much slower pace, as to fully enjoy the rich flavor of the soup.

When the bowl was empty, Kakashi pulled out some coins to pay for their meal.

"Don't worry about it. It's on the house. I haven't had this much laughter in a long time. Have a good time at the festival, and many happy returns, young Takashi." The older man wished Naruto.

"Thanks, old man." He waved, before hopping off the stool and into the street.

"Thank you, sir." Kakashi said, with a slight bow of his head to show his appreciation, before heading off to keep a watch on Naruto.

0o0o0o0

The disguised Konoha residents meandered through the festival. Here and there, stopping to play a few games. Naruto gathered quite a crowd at one booth.

Mutterings of awe at the skill of the child passed through the crowd as the chestnut haired boy threw another ball at the target. It hit the stack of sake bottles just to the left of center, causing the left hand of the tower to collapse. Naruto grinned at the small amount of applause that he garnered.

"Remember rule number three?" Kakashi finally reminded him, leaning over to whisper in his ear.

"Hehe…he…oops?" Naruto gave him a wide smile, as he replaced the ball onto the counter.

"Let's go." Kakashi sighed.

"One sec." Naruto scanned the racks of prizes before pointing to a large toad in the corner. "That one, please."

The attendant swiftly unclipped the stuffed animal, and handed it to the boy. A few giggles sounded at the sight of the young child being dwarfed by his prize.

"Want me to carry it?" The teen offered.

"I got it." Naruto piped up, partially muffled by the green fuzz that was invading his mouth. He wrestled with it for a moment before finally getting a one armed grip on it. The disguised blonde fought against a yawn, trying to cover it up. Kakashi, seeing this, decided to head back to the room he had rented earlier in the day for the pair.

They headed down a street full of inns and eating establishments. Raucous laughter drifted from the doorways of those who were serving drink to their guests at that hour. Young couples promenaded down the lane, enjoying their romance by lantern light. Small groups of friends gathered around, telling stories and boasting about their summer adventures. Kakashi deftly navigated them through the busy streets.

Kakashi felt Naruto tug his hand out of his grasp. He paused, and waited while Naruto adjusted his arm around his new friend. The undercover jounin glanced around at his surroundings. His attention was caught by a group of girls fawning over a trio of brawny youth. A silver eye narrowed. He edged closer, listening in on their conversation. An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. He knew that accent. Had heard it many times while having threats directed at him in battle. Kakashi's heart began to beat faster. The tall, lean youth was bragging about some fight or other. Judging from the vagueness of the details, it was probably from a mission. If he was right, these men held no love for his departed sensei, nor would they look kindly on his son.

Having heard enough, the one-eyed ANBU edged his way back out of the circle. He glanced back to where his charge had been, and found nothing.

"Shit."

0o0o0o0

Naruto felt his arm getting uncomfortable wrapped around the neck of the toad. He tugged his hand out of the larger grip of his sensei. The tired boy wrapped both arms around the faux amphibian's belly, locking hands together, and then continued in the direction that he knew Kakashi was leading him in.

Naruto was more than ready for some sleep, truth be told. Tonight had been one of the most fun nights in his life, in both this and the former timeline. He'd rarely had the time to just enjoy such a gathering without any glares or mutterings behind hands.

The Uzumaki heir trod down the street, pausing to yawn every so often. He vaguely recognized the buildings, so he supposed that he was heading the right direction.

Suddenly, he felt himself pushed to the ground, as someone ran into his side, spilling their drink on him. He cried out as a sharp pain radiated from his back, right where the seal was. Tears gathered at the edges of his lids.

"Watch where you're going, you little brat!" A slurred voice yelled.

Naruto cracked his eyes open to see a familiar blonde head of hair over a tattooed forehead.

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for putting up with the slow update. Four concerts in two weeks does not bode well for free time. Musical is getting into gear too, so there go my weekends.

I had hoped to have this out for Christmas, but alas, distractions .

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Back to the grindstone of work and school! I at least have a new toy to play with. It goes to show how nutty I am that a practice violin is a toy to me, lol.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, alerted and favorite! It's humbling to have so many people read my little drabbles. *bows*

Special thanks to Tora, Mokimo, and Le Diosa for being sounding boards and for the great feedback and encouragement they've provided me with.

Happy New Year!

Soprano-in-Waiting


	8. Search and Seizure

I don't own Naruto. Sadly. Not even my tax return could get me that… TT

0o0o0o0o0

'_Of all the people….'_ Naruto groaned, very slowly moving from the spot where he had been thrown to in the sudden collision. He felt the sake drenched shirt move over his back. Every drag of the wet fabric against the irritated skin felt like flame across the surface of his body. The young boy winced as his back began to throb.

Naruto paused as he realized something was not right. His heart was starting to race inside his chest. Heavy pants escaped his mouth as he tried to calm his body. His eyes widened, yet didn't register anything they were perceiving as they darted all over the street. The blue orbs swiveling in their sockets. His heart beat fast and faster before finally a searing pain spread throughout his entire frame. Arms and legs flailed out of control. The sharp, piercing scream of a child rent the night air before finally falling silent as he slipped into unconsciousness.

0o0o0o0

"Tsunade-sama!" A young woman's voice yelled.

"What, Shizune?" The blonde snarled in reply.

"This child, aren't you going to help him?" A young teen with shoulder length, dark hair knelt at the side of the young boy, checking him over for any obvious injuries.

"Why should I?" Tsunade replied, taking a swig from her sake bottle. She raised the bottle to her ear and shook. Hearing nothing, she threw it off to the side. A young couple ducked, and yelled in outrage before being quelled by the woman's heated stare.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune hissed in outrage. "He was fine a minute ago, so something must have happened when you ran into him."

"The little brat ran into me. It's his own fault. I don't owe him anything." Tsunade huffed. She stalked away, searching for her next drink, her signature green coat billowing behind her. A few of those whose attention had been drawn to the scene lost interest as they saw the excitement was over.

Shizune sighed at the sight of her mentor as she left. Not seeing any broken bones or open wounds, she gently lifted the boy in her arms, settling him on her shoulder.

"Ma'am?" She asked a passing lady. "Do you know this boy?"

The older woman stopped to take a closer look at the child. "Sorry, I've never seen the child. Perhaps he belongs to some of the traveling performers?" The matronly looking woman suggested. With a wish of good luck, she continued on her way, leaving an exasperated Shizune with a sleeping charge.

"This wouldn't be easy, would it?" She mumbled to herself. "Well, I can't keep running around with you all night, so I guess you're coming with me for the time being." Shizune adjusted the boy until he was resting his head against her shoulder.

Within a few minutes, Shizune and her temporary charge reached the inn where she and her master had decided to spend the night. With a turn of the key, she admitted them into the room. Using her foot to nudge the mattress and blankets out, she laid the boy on top of the dark gray bedding. A warm glow spread throughout the room as Shizune lit the small lamp on a side table.

"Ok, little one, let's see what's going on here." She whispered, as she carefully began to remove the brunet's shirt. Limp limbs were maneuvered through the openings leaving him bare-chested in moments. Shizune frowned. The child hadn't even stirred since the incident. Gently, she felt over the boy's body. The brunette teen slipped one arm behind the boy's back; lifting him into a sitting position with his torso draped over her other arm. With her hand, she skimmed over his skin, searching for anything out of the ordinary. She paused when she felt a warm area under her hand. It could be anything from a bruise to a sprain, so she turned him over so she could get a better look. A gasp escaped her lips.

There in the center of his back was a darkened area. Quickly, she laid the boy out on his stomach, and pulled the lamp closer to where they were situated. In the better light, she could see the faint lines and patterns on the tan skin.

"A seal?" She breathed.

Shizune sat there, chewing on her bottom lip. Tsunade had trained her in the more mundane medical arts, but seals were another thing entirely. So many things could go wrong with the art when handled incorrectly. Even removing a seal required a special care and procedure. Improper usage in living beings often resulted in severe repercussions in either the caster or the person it was drawn on.

Her eyes widened as pieces began to fall into place. Shizune thought over the events of the evening. The child had been fine, until Tsunade spilled her sake on him. She grabbed the boy's shirt from where she had tossed it in her haste to check out. There on the inside of the shirt was a smudge of the same blank ink that swirled on his back. She could smell the acerbic fumes of the alcohol still wafting from the darkened stain. Whoever had applied the seal must have used an ink that was soluble in alcohol instead of water. Shizune felt a surge of justification at the realization that Tsunade, in fact, was at fault in this situation. It had been her spilled sake that had loosened the ink the seal, causing a backlash when the chakra paths and constructs had been suddenly interrupted.

A warm green glow surrounded her palm. With a possible cause in mind, she began to scan the chakra system of the small child before her. This little boy possessed a rather well developed system for someone his age. While it still possessed that wild, unrefined power of the young, it had the signs that it was in the stages of being tamed and channeled. There was a rather large concentration of chakra in his abdomen, but there were no outbursts from that area. It was all contained, and under control. There were, however, occasional erratic flares starting from where the seal most likely had originated, and continuing around the brain.

Shizune paused as she considered her findings. This little boy, while dirty, was in a stable state for the moment. She knew that her knowledge of seals was woefully lacking. As such, she didn't consider herself able to treat him in this condition.

"Guess we'll have to wait until Tsunade-sama comes back." Shizune sighed. Her own exhaustion from travel and the excitement of the night began to crash into her in waves. She deftly moved the boy so she could tug the blankets over him, covering him snugly with the heavy comforter so he could rest in warmth. Quietly, she gathered the extra blankets from the closet, and arranged her own nest next to the boy, just in case he woke up during the night. With a twist of her fingers, the lamp was off, sending the room into a quiet dark. The young woman fell asleep, listening to the breathing of the boy and the dying murmurs of the festival drifting through the window.

0o0o0o0o0

Kakashi was screwed. He took his eyes off the boy for one second, and Naruto disappeared. He scanned the street. While not as crowded as it had been, there were still plenty of festival goers enjoying their night of revelries out and about. The teen ducked in and out of the small groups and couples, jostling a few in his frantic search. No tiny brunet could be found. Kakashi surveyed the scene once more. He zipped over to the edge of the thoroughfare. A pair of older ladies was sitting chatting out on the porch of their storefront. He watched as the ornaments in the hair of the elder jingled as she nodded her head in agreement to whatever her friend was saying.

"Ma'am? Have you seen my little brother? He's about this tall," Kakashi held a hand to his waist. "And he has brown hair and blue eyes. He was carrying a huge stuffed frog?" He asked hopefully.

"Hm…" The wizened woman pondered. "I don't remember seeing a child like that, do you, Mai?" She replied.

The other shook her head. "I'm sorry young man, but I haven't seen him either. Perhaps he wandered back to the games?" She suggested, waving her hand back down the street.

He bit back a sigh of frustration.

"Thank you anyways. Have a good night." He bowed slightly before returning to his search in the streets.

Kakashi continued his search, asking people here and there if they had seen his young charge. Apparently no one had, or at least not recently.

"How does one boy just fall off the face of the earth?" The jounin grumbled. Agile fingers ran through his spiky locks. The general confusion of the gathering pretty much ruled out any tracking by footprints. Although, a young man crawling around to follow said tracks would probably garner more than his fair share of attention, something he wanted to avoid while the Iwa nin were in the area.

'_Guess it's time to call in the cavalry.' _He mused. Warily, he scanned the crowd for them. The trio looked rather comfortable where they were. Provided their lady friends stayed enraptured with their dashing tales, the nin should be distracted enough for the moment. With purpose in his step, Kakashi headed in the opposite direction until he found a perfect little alley. Shadows clung to the brick façade as he ducked in. Hiding himself behind a stack of boxes and other refuse, he ran through a few select hand signs. With a slam of his palm to the ground, a small plume of chakra smoke appeared.

A small, chocolate and tan pug emerged. While canine features do not generally show much of anything, a clear sense of disgust and revulsion crossed his wrinkled visage.

"What the heck, Kakashi!" The little pug cried out. He lifted one of his little paws out of the puddle of questionable goo. "You couldn't have summoned me somewhere a little cleaner?" He complained as he gingerly stepped out of the mess in an effort to not spread the contamination.

"Look, Pakkun, I'm sorry, but now's not the time. I've lost Naruto." Kakashi quickly explained. The dog froze.

"You _what?_" The ninken swung his gaze to meet his master's.

"I lost Naruto. I know! I know! I left him for one moment to check on some possible hostiles, and when I returned, he was gone. I haven't been able to find him using more low-key methods, so you're up." He quickly explained.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Pakkun started to dart out of the alley.

"Hold on," Kakashi ordered, jerking his friend back. "I need to take off your vest and headband. They're dead giveaways if those Iwa nin see you." The monocular teen explained as he manhandled the pug, removing said items, and stowing them safely away in a hidden pocket. Once fully divested, he set the mutt back down.

"I feel so….naked." Pakkun muttered. He glared at the muffled snort coming from his masked partner.

"You're a dog. You don't need clothes in the first place. Now come on. Follow me; I'll take you to where I last saw him." Kakashi retorted before heading back out into the street, the summon close at his heels.

0o0o0o0

"And then I swung out on this branch to grab this idiot. A few seconds later and he would have been fish food." The tall, coarse red head bragged, taking another deep swig of his beverage.

"What he forgot to tell you, my dears, is that he was the moron who pushed me out there in the first place. I would have been fine if he hadn't tripped over his own two hooves." A slender, pale, teen snorted. A red blush spread across his cheeks. The raven-haired beauty beneath his arm giggled.

"Did not! You just have the balance of a bull on tiptoes, Katsu." The former asserted, jabbing a finger in the latter's chest. His inebriated condition made it more of a challenge than he anticipated, ending with him pulling his brunette companion with him as he lurched forward. "Always have." The taller continued as he regained his balance. "Remember in school? He tried to sneak across the roof of the school buildings. He made it three steps when a bird spooked him. Katsu fell off the roof, right into a pile of old bricks. How long were you in the hospital that time? Three? Four weeks?"

"One. And it wasn't a bird, Hachiro," Katsu argued, "It was a cat." He mumbled, returning to his drink.

Hachiro burst out laughing. "Because that makes it soooo much better." He rolled his eyes. The burly man disentangled himself from his fair company as he spotted the intense concentration on the face of their friend.

"Why so serious, Sho?" He asked as he swung a meaty arm across the other's shoulders.

"Huh? Oh, nothing." Sho continued his quiet observation of the street scene, as Hachiro left him to once again defend his suffering masculinity. Something about it wasn't sitting right with him. This was the third time that adolescent had come down this street in a hurry. This last time he had a dog with him. Perhaps it was just well trained, but the way they were looking at each other didn't seem to look right to him. Sho let his gaze examine the teen, memorizing his face, what he could see of it, for later analysis. He turned his attention to his teammates. They were giggling up a storm as they were trading ridiculous stories. It's a good thing they didn't have to head back until the day after tomorrow. Onoki-sama would thrash them alive if they returned like this.

Sho smirked. He wouldn't want to be them in the morning ….

0o0o0o0

After fumbling with the key, Tsunade stumbled into her hotel room. Her head was throbbing as the revenge of her liquid dinner set upon her. Glancing around the shadowed room, she took in the standard set-up of the hotel room. They never changed, really. Same old rooms, maybe in different shades of color, but all utilitarian, sterile. Little to no personality livened them up, but then again, they were supposed to be temporary stops on a journey, not a home.

The blonde sighed. Nothing memorable, just like she wanted it. One blur from beginning to end, nothing to tie her down. She tossed the key onto a table by the door, and slung her coat onto the heap of bags by the wall. Vaguely, she wondered how Shizune managed to wriggle off of her futon so far. Tsunade approached the girl, intent on moving her back to her mattress. As she bent down, she realized why her student was sleeping on the floor. Her own bed was already occupied. A patch of fuzzy hair stuck out from the top of the bed.

The older woman twitched the quilt down to reveal the sleeping face of a small boy. She quirked an eyebrow. It was the little brat who had run into her earlier tonight. Seems like he still hasn't woken up, and Shizune was sucker enough to bring him with.

Tsunade snorted. Her apprentice was soft like that. She let any sob story get to her.

The medic of the Sannin was just about to cover the kid back up when she noticed some dark black smudges on his back. Intrigued, she brought up the lamplight, and lowered the blanket to reveal the rest of his back. She leaned closer. Her nose twitched from the remaining scent her beloved sake had left on him. Stupid brat.

Skilled fingers trailed down the smooth skin of the boy. She didn't feel any broken bones protruding, or any swelling. She charged chakra through her palm, emitting a green glow.

A puzzled expression crossed her face. This child's chakra system was rather well developed for his age, but this wasn't what surprised her, for the most part. There were small flickers of chakra interrupting the chakra flow in his nervous system, mostly with his brain.

She continued her scan to find the cause, and quickly found the source. "Damn…." She cursed. Shizune was right, in a way. When her sake had spilled, it improperly smudged a seal that some witless fool had put on the kid. Knowing she needed a clear head to take care of this, she isolated the poison in her own system, neutralizing the fledgling hangover in its tracks. Tsunade grabbed her supply kit, and set to fixing the kid so he could get back to wherever he belonged. Carefully, she used her own medical chakra to surround the area that she estimated the seal had been on. A green dome bubbled around the smudges on his back, sealing off the parts of the chakra system influenced by the fuuinjutsu. Time was of the essence now. Too long and it could harm the kid permanently. Using one hand to stabilizing it, she grabbed a bottle of rubbing alcohol in another hand and poured a dish full of the liquid. She carefully wiped at the inky mess on the child's back. Satisfied, she lowered her shield, monitoring the boy's system as the system was rejoined. The flares had disappeared, and the flow had evened out. He was resting, but no longer unnaturally still.

Tsunade began cleaning up the supplies she had used. Soiled cotton cloths were disposed of, while the tainted alcohol was poured down the drain. Such a shame it wasn't potable. She rinsed out the bowl, making sure it was clean before drying out the vessel thoroughly. She packed it back up, and threw the bag back on the pile. The blonde pulled out her mattress. With a weary sigh, she threw herself down on the mattress.

The traveler stared sightlessly at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to claim her. Without the alcohol in her system to depress it, it was a losing fight. Giving up, she turned to her impromptu patient.

'_Why would they put a seal on a child?'_ She wondered.

Admittedly, there were various reasons that could apply. The most prominent were the seals used to hold demons, but those were infinitely more complex than the one she had just dispelled, and not so easily removed by mundane means such as sake. Those children were also highly watched after, usually within their respective shinobi villages.

There was also the possibility that it was a training seal. More likely than the previous theory, but still, this boy couldn't be older than a couple years. Such strenuous seals weren't applied until the body was able cope with the stress that those seals placed on them. Usually. Perhaps some father got overly ambitious. If she got a hold of that supreme idiot, she'd have a very…nice chat about what a child's body could handle.

Not that she cared about the little snotrag or anything.

The Senju heir watched as the little boy shifted in his sleep, making the most significant movement that she had seen in the last hour or so. She really hoped he wasn't waking up. She really didn't want to deal with a whiny toddler at…well, didn't want to deal with him period.

Small hands fidgeted in their sleep. He tossed his arms up, and rolled over, looking for a more comfortable sleeping position. A wry grin appeared. The kid was kinda cute, at least when he was asleep. Who knows what kind of terror he was awake. She watched as the low lamplight threaded through his baby fine strands. For some reason, that bothered her.

Tsunade reached over and tilted his head up to examine his face a bit closer. Familiar features melded together. The young age of the boy made it a bit more difficult to piece it together. The layer of grime didn't help either. She really didn't like playing nursemaid, but sometimes it was just unavoidable. She retrieved a few moistened washcloths from the bathroom, along with a towel.

Gently, in an effort to avoid waking the boy up, she wiped at the soil that had accumulated on his face. There, underneath it, she found a set of whisker-like scars on a tanned face. She continued cleaning the boy. Where she had gotten some strands caught in the path of the rag, a lighter shade peeked through.

Tsunade stilled. She was absolutely certain that the boy had been a brunet when he had ran into her. She just found what the seal had been hiding. But why would some numbskull apply a seal, just to hide the color of some kid's hair?

"What is so special about you, kid?" She murmured, leaning forward as she finished taking off at least one layer of dirt.

Tiny eyelids cracked open at that moment, before widening to unbelievable size.

The now wide awake kid took one look at her, and started screaming his head off.

0o0o0o0

Kakashi followed the dog through the streets of the town. The sounds of the festival died down as the duo followed the scent trail. Here and there, Pakkun had to stop to recapture the trace of their lost charge. Said hound started circling an area, retracing his own steps multiple times.

"Got anything?" The shinobi muttered under his breath.

"He definitely came this direction, and there's a huge pool of his scent on the ground, but I can't find a definite trail leading out from here." Pakkun whispered, nose to the ground.

"Damn it." Kakashi growled in frustration.

"Now, I don't think that was quite called for, young man." An elderly woman scolded as she threw her cat out the door for the night.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, ma'am." The teen apologized, giving her a tired bow.

"Apology accepted." The matron responded, while shutting the door in her poor cat's face. "What had you all worked up in the first place?" She inquired, one hand resting on the frame for support.

Kakashi watched his ninken sniff in the dirt for a moment. Would it hurt to ask?

"Have you seen my little brother? He's three years old. Brown hair. Blue eyes. Probably had a giant stuffed frog with him?" The jounin finally asked, a glimmer of hope began to spring in his one revealed eye.

Kakashi watched tensely as the woman stood there for a bit, lost in her thoughts.

"Hm….now let's see here…"She muttered, almost too quiet to hear. The teen respectfully waited for an answer, resisting the attempt to shake her for information. After a few meetings with Yuuka-san, he had quickly been reminded that just because a person was old, didn't mean they couldn't slap you upside the head five ways from next week.

Pakkun whuffled his way in around the dirt, unaware of where his trail was taking him. His next sniff brought him right face to face with a cranky feline who swiftly showed him exactly what he thought about having a smelly dog in his face with a set of bare claws.

The pug yelped in surprise, before chasing the cat under the porch with a menacing growl. He was stopped from his pursuit when something big, green, and ugly caught his eye. The ninken crept closer and caught a huge whiff of Naruto coming from it, along with fried food and sweets, but that's beside the point.

He gently grabbed the arm of the toy in his teeth and pulled it out into the street.

Kakashi was quickly losing patience with the old lady. It had been almost a minute, and she just kept mumbling to herself. He was shaken out of rethinking his initial approach to the matter when he felt a paw pulling on his pants' leg. Pakkun gave a soft bark, trying to get his attention.

The undercover ANBU bent down closer to his summon.

"Find anything?" He whispered, as he pet the dog.

"Yeah, look by the porch." Pakkun replied, just as quiet.

Kakashi looked where he indicated, and quickly rescued the stuffed animal from the dust.

"Oh! I remember that!" The forgotten woman cried out upon sighting the giant toad.

"A young boy dropped that earlier tonight. But he wasn't a brunet. He had this rather dusty blond hair, so he couldn't have been the boy you're looking for." She explained.

"Never mind that. Did you see where he went?" Kakashi snapped, back on full alert with this new information.

"I'm not sure. He had collapsed in the street. Maybe the young lady took him to the clinic to get checked out? At least I hope so. The young dear was out like a light after running into the woman." She worried.

Kakashi's heart stopped.

"Which way? Which way did she go with him?" He begged, as he began searching the street, as if doing so would show him the direct path to his student.

"Hm…that way I think." She pointed a gnarled finger down the street. Kakashi gave the dog a questioning look.

"Faint." Was the quick, whispered reply he heard.

The jounin uttered a quick 'thank you' before darting off in the specified direction. Pakkun was hot on his heels. It wasn't long before he heard a sharp bark behind him. He looked back to see his pug standing in an intersection. With a jerk of his head, he corrected his partner's course.

The two found themselves outside a hotel. It wasn't the most posh of places, but neither was it the rat infested den of thieves it could have been. Kakashi stilled, realizing it was the same place he had rented a room for the night.

'_Great. Not only do I lose him, but I manage to sleep in the same place as his kidnappers. Could this get any worse?"_ He mentally groaned.

"Pakkun, slip in. Track which room he's in, and report back." He softly ordered, observing the building from the shadows in an alley across the street.

He watched as the little pug darted across the street, and in the door. Kakashi waited. He tried to calm his rapid heartbeat with deep breaths. By count number fifty, he saw his ninken returning back across the lane.

"He's in room 208. Last room on the northwest end." The pug reported.

"Thanks. You can go now." Kakashi said, dismissing the dog.

"Just be careful, there was more than the one girl's scent going into that room." Pakkun warned, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

The Konoha nin did a quick inventory of the gear he had on his person. He had his kunai pouch hidden under his bulky shirt. A length of wire was hidden down his pocket. An exploding tag hidden in each sandal. Of course, there was always his jutsu, but that depended on how much attention he wanted to attract. Judging that he was as ready as he could be in the situation, he carefully checked the quiet street. He didn't see anyone approaching, but just because he didn't see them, didn't mean they weren't there. Kakashi dashed across the road, and through the alley to the backside of the inn. He leapt to the roof of the porch, landing with a soft thump. The teen stilled, surveying his surroundings. When nothing happened, he crept to the end of the ledge to where his goal lay.

A soft light shone through the glass of the window that was his aim. His skin prickled as he sensed the chakra signatures of the room's inhabitants. Kakashi slunk in the shadows, avoiding the barely noticeable beam of light shining through the glass. One of the signatures was huge, a powerhouse. The other he would have to rate as somewhere around a high chuunin in size. He was going in blind on their skill level, but he knew one thing. They were trained. The third signature, at least, gave him some relief. It was Naruto's bright beacon, calm and restful. If Kakashi had to guess, the boy was simply sleeping. Whether it was willing or not was another matter.

He drew a kunai, resting the familiar weight comfortably in his callused palm. The nin drew closer, until his head was right under the window frame. He could hear one of the occupants moving around. The Hatake listened to them gather some water from the faucet before moving back. Footsteps grew slightly louder as they came closer to his position. With a moment's hesitation, he lifted the covering over his sharingan, ready for anything that could wait in the room. He tensed to shift, to steal a peek of his potential adversaries before he made his move. Carefully, he inched upward. He was barely able to see the light from the lamp before his plan was thrown out the window with a high pitched scream.

0o0o0o0

_Naruto let out a roar of frustration as the twenty-third bowl of giant ramen ran past him at a speed too fast for his short stubby legs. He pouted as it went over the hill and out of his sight. He heard the sound of another bowl coming from behind him, but this one seemed to be moving slower. Naruto turned around to find he was right. He crouched, getting ready to pounce, watching his quarry as it drew near. _

_Before he could loose an attack with his weapon of choice, a pair of very fine chopsticks, he was forced back by strands of noodles shooting out from the bowl. The young blond grimaced as the slobbery, cold noodle appendages began assaulting his face. He waved his arms about, trying to grasp them, but they slipped through his hands. Slowly, the noodles forced him to walk backwards. Step by step they drove him. Naruto took one final step and met no opposing force. With a scream, he watched as the walls of the canyon closed in on him as he fell to the bottom of the stony gorge. Twisting himself around, sapphire eyes widened, seeing the rocky bottom swiftly approaching. Bracing for impact, he waited for the moment he became Naruto pancake._

With a start, Naruto was pulled from his dream. His first reaction was relief, at not having been murdered by his beloved ramen. Then his eyes registered the shadowy visage above him. There, inches away from him, was a highly angular face. His sleep-blurred eyes couldn't make heads or tales of the mix of shadow and light. A terrified scream tore from his throat from the unexpected invasion of personal space by someone who he wasn't sure he knew.

The tinkling of broken glass and the cracking of wood shook Naruto from his screaming. Of course, the hand grasping him around the wrist, and sudden collision with a hard surface as said hand threw him into the opposite wall probably helped too.

Naruto carefully sat up, and tried to blink away the twirling Gamarikis circling his head. His small fists were frantically rubbing his eyes to assist in banishing the cross-dressing summons from his vision. He shuddered in relief once he was sure the sight wasn't real. _'Seeing that…thing again would be once too many for my taste.' _He thought, shaking his head.

Naruto looked up. And blinked owlishly. And blinked again.

"What the heck?..." he mumbled, not believing his eyes.

There, on the other side of the room, in the flickering light of the lamp, stood Tsunade with a familiar silver-haired teenager in a head lock, with one hand around his wrist. Said prisoner was stubbornly resisted the hold as he grasped in the direction of his foot. Shizune was standing off to the side in a defensive position, blinking the sleep from her eyes as she took in the commotion.

Naruto was filled with the urge to laugh at the absurdity of the scene. _'Can't say that's something I see every day.'_

"Nii-san?" The tiny blond cried in disbelief.

The struggling duo paused at the child's voice. Tsunade's usually crease-free brow wrinkled in confusion as she took a good look at the boy she currently had in a stranglehold. As she examined the faces of the two boys. Golden eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"You're this brat's brother?" She asked, jerking her head in Naruto's direction, still not releasing the teen.

Kakashi nodded as much as his limited range of movement allowed. The strong grip around his head and limb loosened, dropping him to the mattress. He took a few deep breaths, attempting to calm his pounding heart.

Naruto was soon being fussed over by a blooming mother hen of an ANBU. Light fingers were manhandling him, moving him limbs this way and that in an effort to see whether he had been hurt in any way. Naruto rolled his eyes at his temporary guardian's antics.

"I'm fine, aniki!" He asserted.

"Mhmm. Yeah, sure. I turn away for a few seconds, and you get kidnapped. That does not equate 'fine' in my books. Now, hold still." Kakashi ordered.

Naruto groaned, but put up with it, if only because he could feel the apprehension and worry rolling through Kakashi's chakra in waves.

The little boy hissed as the skilled fingers found a particularly tender spot on his head.

Without warning, he was spun around, and his head was yanked down.

"Oww!" Naruto cried.

"You're bleeding!" Kakashi exclaimed, as he examined the rusty spot in the dusty hair. Naruto swore he could feel the glare that was being thrown at the two women in the room.

"Here, let me take a look." A soft, feminine voice offered, turning on a few more lights.

Kakashi must have accepted, because Naruto was allowed to lift his head as the teen loosened his grip, and moved aside.

With much more gentleness, Naruto was laid down on a mattress again.

"It looks like a shallow cut, but I would need to clean it up to be sure." She finally diagnosed. "If you'll let me, I'm just going to take him into the bathroom to clean it out." She looked to the other teen.

The Hatake narrowed his eye for a moment, before giving her a cautious nod.

Naruto gave a slight grin at the protectiveness the hardened shinobi was showing. '_If only your comrades could see you now…'_

The Uzumaki quickly found himself sitting on a cold sink in a brightly lit room.

Shizune eyed him for a moment, before she turned on some taps, running water in the bathtub. Naruto tensed.

"No one said anything about a bath!" He yelled. Shizune cringed at the astonishingly loud voice the child possessed, but wasn't dismayed, swiftly catching the boy before he attempted an escape. With speed cultured from years as a shinobi, Naruto found himself stripped of his dusty clothes, and deposited in a bath full of warm water and a few bubbles.

"The cut on your head isn't serious, and you really needed one anyways." She explained with a smile as she reached for a washrag. Naruto scowled.

"What's your name?" The elder brunette asked, reaching for the bar of soap.

Naruto contemplated the question. Did he give her the name Kakashi called him earlier, or his real name? He was quiet for a moment as she scrubbed him.

"Shy?" She teased.

"Naruto." The boy finally decided. An odd look crossed Shizune's face.

"That's a…different name." She responded, as she set the rag to the side.

"How old are you?"

"I'm three. Today's my birthday." He smiled. Kakashi would probably throttle him later, but damn it! He wanted his baa-chan back and if that meant dropping breadcrumbs for his favorite cranky blonde's assistant, then he'd do it.

"Well Happy Birthday, Naruto-chan." Shizune smiled, pouring shampoo into her hand. Naruto closed his eyes as the massaging fingers gently worked their way through his fine hair. He could have purred in contentment if he was a cat. Which he wasn't, honest.

Tenderly, Shizune worked to the area that was stained with blood, wary of her temporary charge tensing from the sting of the soap as she worked the dark flecks loose. Naruto sputtered as she poured water over his head to rinse it out, causing a girlish giggle to escape from the slug sannin's apprentice.

"All clean." She declared, picking him out from the water, and wrapping him in a fluffy white towel.

She briskly dried out his hair, and started when she saw the bright blonde spikes appear.

Shizune pushed it out of her mind, and returned to eye the dusty dirty clothes he had been wearing. With a sigh, she gathered them together, and started trying to dress Naruto.

"I can do it myself!" He insisted with irritation, grabbing them from her hands, and swiftly backing his claim.

"Can I go?" He begged, on the verge of bringing out the baby-blues.

"One sec." She replied. Naruto soon felt the prickle of medical chakra cover his scalp. A weird tingle made his head itch as she healed the small cut.

"There, all set." Shizune smiled, ruffling his damp hair.

"Finally!" Naruto ducked under her arm, and out the door.

Whatever conversation they had been having was promptly silenced when he emerged from his bath. Naruto was greeted by the sight of Kakashi and Tsunade glaring at each other. He could almost see the vein bulging at her forehead.

"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune's soft voice questioned above Naruto's head.

She didn't reply.

Naruto slipped over to Kakashi and tugged on his hand, trying to put an end to the standstill.

"Nii-san?"

Naruto found himself once again being swept up, and inspected. This was getting irritating. '_I'm not glass!' _

"Naruto-chan's fine." Shizune assured him.

Kakashi tensed. Naruto didn't know whether to be afraid of their next training session or not.

An intense look of contemplation crossed her face as she stepped closer to the pair. The teen carefully backed away as she studied Naruto's face, registering the hair and eye color, but also the features in particular. A niggling suspicion began to form.

"Naruto, huh?" She mused. "That's a rather odd name. My teammate named a character in his first novel that. Not a particularly good story, to be honest, but better than the trash he's putting out now."

Naruto bristled, wanting to defend his godfather's supposed reputation. It took everything he had to remain quiet and relatively still. Kakashi on the other hand, narrowed his single eye, and surreptitiously shifted his charge into one arm, leaving one hand free.

"If my otouto is okay, I would like to take him back to our room." The silver haired nin requested.

"I'd like to check him in the morning, so if you could let me know where you're staying?" Shizune informed him. The ANBU contemplated it, and then sighed.

"Down the hall, room 202." He tiredly replied, before heading out the door, a bundle of blond in his arms.

0o0o0o0

Kakashi sat on his bed, watching his little brother sleep. The silver moonlight washed the sunshine locks into a muted gold. Hours ago, he had wondered if he'd ever see him again. It had scared him to the bone to be on the edge of losing another precious person. A single dark eye looked out to the stars, wondering if they had been watching. The teen snorted at the thought. If they were, his sensei was probably holding back his wife from trying to come back to haunt him for not watching the boy. He glanced to the soft material in his hands. He wondered if his sensei had ever felt that way. If Minato had ever wondered if Kakashi's father was watching, judging how he raised his son.

He stroked the soft fur of the worn bear in his hands. It was too late to ask now. Kakashi had spent so much time trying to keep Minato and anyone else from becoming close that when he finally got the message, it was too late to make up for those years. He sighed.

The Hatake promised that he would do his best to make sure that Naruto never made those same mistakes. He leaned over and gently tucked the bear into the crook of the little blond's arm. Naruto promptly wrapped his arms around it in his sleep, causing his older brother to smile before he crawled under his own blankets for some much needed rest.

* * *

><p>AN: Geesh…talk about writer's block…in my defense, I did have to deal with my computer crashing and then not being able to access my files because of different editions of Office. To borrow the words of my favorite genius: "mendokusai…."

I'm still not completely happy with how this turned out, but I think authors are probably their own worst critics, so let me know what you think!

I hope you have a blessed Holy Week and a Happy Easter!

Soprano-in-Waiting


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